APB Annual Convention on 4-5 Nov.

The much looked forward to; annual event of the Association of Professional Bankers, the Anniversary Convention will be held on the 4 and 5 November at the HNB auditorium, HNB Towers. This year it will be the 23rd Anniversary Convention on the theme Banking Foresight: Shaping Integrated Development.

The APB convention has been convened annually since 1998 and is the foremost event on transformational issues in the global financial services industry.

Over the years this event has been executed as an event of thought, leadership, and sharing of best practices, thereby delivering the most important learning experience for the financial sector professionals.

Without question this event brings top banking professionals and senior executives in the financial services industry in Sri Lanka together.

APB will have the honour of having the Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal as the Chief Guest for this event for the 6th Consecutive year.

The Governor’s opening address which is an item eagerly awaited for by the participants, has always been very inspiring and of immense value.   

This year the keynote address will be delivered by the guest of honour, Michael Tan, the Managing Director and Head of the Financial Institutions Group for the Asia Pacific Region at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

In addition to the many other hats he wears, he is a Bachelor with an Engineering degree with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Auckland University.

Michael has spent his entire career working with financial institutions globally, in a range of corporate advisory, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), restructuring and capital raising transactions, Investment Banking and located in many geographies such as Australia/New Zealand, the US and now Asia.

Many other presentations will also be made by eminent personalities during the technical sessions in line with the theme.

Some of the topic headings are Changing the Economic Landscape – Private and Public Partnerships by Sarath Amunugama, Senior Minister of International Monetary Co-operation, Ministry of Finance and Planning, The People Factor in Shaping Integrated Development by Dr. Ajantha Dharmasiri,  The Capital Market Development – the Banks Role, by Channa de Silva Group Managing Director, LR (Global) Lanka Asset Management, Legal and Regulatory Reforms – Way Forward, by Naomal Goonewardena, Partner, Nithya partners.

These presentations will be followed by an undoubtedly absorbing and invaluable Panel discussion, consisting of panellists who are experts and specialists in their fields.

Amitha Gooeratne, Managing Director Commercial Bank PLC, Prof. Lalith Gamage, Managing Director/CEO, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Prof. Uditha Liyanage, Director, Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM),   Idrajit Coomaraswamy, Former Director, Economic Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

As has been the experience this event which is to be held for two days will no doubt be invaluable to the participants who will mainly be top banking professionals and senior executives in the financial services industry in Sri Lanka, helping them widen their horizons and make valuable contributions to the institutions they come from and to the society as a whole.

The Association of Professional Bankers – Sri Lanka was formed in July 1988 by a group of dedicated Senior Bankers.

Some of the principal objectives of the Association are to promote and facilitate studies in the field of banking and allied subjects, plan and organise teaching and training programmes in the field of banking, safe guard the common interest of the profession, promote fellowship and understanding among members of the association.  

From the time of its formation the Association has been successful in achieving most of its objectives by organising, inter-alia, lectures, seminars and various training programmes so as to enable the bankers to keep abreast with the latest developments in their profession.

Such programmes covered not only the subject of banking but also other related areas such as technology, management, marketing etc., senior executives of banks were also given the opportunity to participate in various educational programmes organised by the association on very useful subjects that are of interest to them as banking professionals.

APB is the premier professional body for bankers in Sri Lanka, with a membership of nearly a 1000 bankers, including CEOs and members of the senior management of banks.