‘Outstanding Contribution to the Banking Industry’ award from APB

At the 23rd Anniversary Convention of the Association of Professional Bankers – Sri Lanka (APB) held recently at the HNB Auditorium, HNB Towers, the award for the ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Banking Industry’ was made to Sampath Bank PLC Former Deputy General Manager Parama Dharmawardene by the Chief Guest, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Ajit Nivard Cabraal.

Each year, the APB considers making an award at its annual convention for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Banking Industry’.

The criteria for selection are the significant voluntary contributions made by him for the benefit of the banking industry as a whole, which could be recognised in the industry as outstanding, rather than to one or few institutions. Such contributions shall be made continuously for a considerable length of time by performance of activities which are well beyond the call of his official duties or arising from appointments received by virtue of his official position.

A product of St Thomas College, Mt Lavinia, Parama joined Bank of Ceylon at a very early age. He served BOC with different responsibilities including the task of streamlining the import and export operations of the Bank which he achieved with distinction. He also had the rare privilege of serving the BOC London office.  

In 1987, he was invited to join Sampath Bank at its inception as Manager International and was instrumental in setting up the International Operations Division of the Bank.  The Bank recognised his efforts by promoting him as a Senior Manager and thereafter an Assistant General Manager.

In June 1999, he was promoted as Deputy General Manager - Corporate Banking and Systems Development with overall responsibility for International Banking, Corporate Banking, Information Technology, Card Business and Marketing. In 2003, he was made the Deputy General Manager In charge of Finance, Planning, Marketing and Business Development portfolios which he held until his retirement from Sampath.

He has strong teaching capabilities which he decided to enhance when he joined the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayawardenapura as a Consultant after his retirement.

This was for a short period of two years. Knowing the Gentleman’s capabilities, other Banks were eyeing to get him to serve their Banks. For a short period of two years, he was a Consultant to DFCC Vardhana Bank. Sampath recalled him for a special assignment as a Consultant in July 2008, a position which he holds to-date.

Parama is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London.  He is also a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist an examination conducted by the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London in association with International Chamber of Commerce, Paris.

He is also a recipient of a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Postgraduate Institute of Management of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura.  

APB’s 23rd Anniversary Convention this year was held under the theme ‘Banking Foresight – Shaping Integrated Development. President APB W. A. Nalani delivered the welcome address and Cabraal, delivered the inaugural address. The keynote speaker was Michael Tan, Managing Director and Head of Financial Institutions Group for the Asia Pacific Region at Bank of America Merril Lynch. At the Technical sessions, presentations were made by Senior Minister of International Monetary Cooperation, Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Dr. Ajantha Dharmasiri, Senior Faculty Member, Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Professor Hareendra Disabandara and Neomal Gunawardena, Partner, Nithya Partners, The Session Chairpersons were Rita O’Sullivan, Country Director, Sri Lanka, Asian Development Bank, Sunil Dissanayake, Head – Group Human resources, Hayleys group, Channa de Silva. Group Managing Director, LR (Global) Lanka Asset Management and Ananda Silva, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The Panel Discussion was chaired by Amitha Gooneratne, Managing Director, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, and the panellists were Professor Lalith Gamage, Managing Director/CEO, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Professor Uditha Liyanage, Director, Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, former Director, Economic Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat, London. This year’s Anniversary Publication was sponsored by Bank of Ceylon and Dr. Gamini Wickremasinghe, Chairman, Bank of Ceylon, presented the first copy of the volume to the Chief Guest, Ajit Nivard Cabraal, Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Copies of the volume were also handed over by him to the writers of the articles.