Finance Houses Association of Sri Lanka to hold key one-day workshop

• Sudhir Amembal to lead workshop on innovative leasing with special emphasis on MSMEs, offering key insights for financial sector growth

Sudhir Amembal

The Finance Houses Association of Sri Lanka (FHA) will hold an exclusive one-day workshop featuring two insightful sessions conducted by Amembal & Halladay Chairman and CEO Sudhir Amembal on 17 February in Colombo.

Titled “Beyond Finance Leasing”, this workshop is designed to equip senior managers involved in business development and marketing, as well as accountants and finance professionals from non-banking financial institutions and the banking sector, with a deeper understanding of Leasing and its impact on business growth.

The sessions will primarily focus on innovative leasing products, with a special emphasis on how it enables Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to access capital goods more efficiently, thereby driving business growth and contributing to economic development. The workshop will cover a range of topics, including the significance of global leasing and its relevance in modern finance, the stages in the evolution of leasing, and the role it plays in SME development. It will also explore the impact of leasing penetration on business environments, as well as the drivers and motivators that push businesses toward leasing solutions. 

Amembal’s expertise on investment in sustainable energy and agro technology will further help attendees gain better understanding on how to navigate this market better.

Commenting on the significance of the event, FHA Chairman Arjuna Gunaratna stated, “This workshop is a unique opportunity for industry professionals to gain critical insights into the evolving landscape of leasing. 

With Sudhir Amembal’s unparalleled expertise, we aim to provide valuable knowledge that will empower financial professionals to better serve SMEs, facilitating easier access to essential capital goods and strengthening Sri Lanka’s economic resilience.”

The workshop will also delve into the “next phase of leasing”, which will include discussions on operating leases, their unique benefits, and how businesses can mitigate associated risks. Additional production considerations and how leasing can support businesses in scaling operations will also be explored. Furthermore, attendees will learn strategies to succeed, including insights from mature markets and an analysis of the strategies employed by leading firms to outperform in the leasing sector.

Amembal is globally recognised as the foremost authority in lease education and consulting. Over the years, he has led consultancy engagements for over 20 governments, including China, Indonesia, Korea, Nigeria, and Russia, where he provided strategic recommendations to enhance the leasing industry. In 2016, he was inducted into the Equipment Finance Hall of Fame by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), USA – an honour given to individuals who have made lasting contributions to the industry. As the first non-lessor to receive this award, his impact on the global leasing sector is unparalleled. His company, Amembal & Halladay, is the world’s most respected training and consulting firm in equipment leasing, having trained over 80,000 professionals across 80 countries.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Sri Lanka has come on board as the technical partner to this workshop, through the financial support of the Government of Japan’s, Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB)-funded, “Enhancing Rural Resilience in Sri Lanka through Energy Efficiency and the Adoption of Renewable Energy for a Just Transition to Net-Zero Pathways” project. This underscores UNDP’s commitment to advancing financial literacy and sustainable economic development in the country. The workshop aligns with these objectives by equipping financial professionals with the tools necessary to facilitate SME growth and sustainable industry practices.

This workshop is an invaluable opportunity for finance professionals and business managers to gain actionable insights from one of the foremost experts in the field of leasing. Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of how innovative leasing can serve as a powerful tool for driving growth and achieving financial success. 

For more information and to register for the workshop, please contact The Finance Houses Association of Sri Lanka on 0778663006 or 0112670335.