Asia Securities to host Sri Lanka Financial Sector Investment Conference

The leading investors in Sri Lanka’s capital markets, along with members of C-suites and boards of the country’s banking and finance sector firms are set to gather to hear from industry and thought leaders on the outlook for the financial sector, at the inaugural Asia Securities Financial Sector Investment Conference, to be held on Wednesday 6 December. 

This will be the most prominent in Asia Securities’ unique series of investor forums – the Wealth Insight Series – which seeks to inform and educate the capital market and corporate investor community on investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. Event partners for this conference are J Walter Thompson Sri Lanka, the Communication Partner, and Daily FT, the media partner. 

Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, will deliver the keynote address at the conference. Asia Securities’ Kanishka Perera (Head of Research and banking sector analyst) and Lakshini Fernando (non-bank finance sector analyst) will start the day with the firm’s sector investment views. The sector represents a quarter of the market capitalisation of the Colombo Stock Exchange. 

Speaking of the event, Dumith Fernando, Chairman of Asia Securities, said: “Capital market and corporate investors are keen to understand how various macropolitical, policy and industry structure issues will affect the future of our financial sector. Investors, particularly individuals, have few opportunities to gain insights that go beyond standard research reports.” 

He added: “Asia Securities’ Wealth Insights Series focuses on delivering such insights because, in order to create a prosperous nation, growing society’s wealth is as important as growing its income.” 

Additional guest presenters at the conference include Sachin Wagle, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley, Mumbai, Ganaka Herath, Partner, McKinsey & Co. and Sujeewa Mudalige, Managing Partner, PWC, Sri Lanka. 

The impressive line-up of panellists includes Jonathan Alles, CEO, Hatton National Bank and Krishan Balendra, President John Keells Holdings/Chairman, Nations Trust Bank who will discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by banks in 2018, alongside Dr. Coomaraswamy and Herath. 

Mudalige and Wagle will lead a panel on implications of recent regulatory and accounting changes on state banks. Herath along with Fariq Cader, Head of Digital Services at Dialog Axiata, Thilak Piyadigama, COO of Nations Trust Bank and Dinesh Fernandopulle, CEO of Synapsys will analyse implications of fintech trends on the local financial sector, in a highly-anticipated session to be moderated by Anushka Wijesinha of the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade. 

The conference will close with a discussion of opinions on the valuation of listed financial sector companies. The experts at this session will be Niloo Jayatilake, Head of Investments at Softlogic, Asanka Rodrigo, Partner, Actis, along with Wagle and Perera of Asia Securities.