HNB Grameen appoints microfinance expert Hasitha Wijesundara to Director Board

Pioneers in microfinance HNB Grameen Finance Ltd recently announced the appointment of Hasitha Wijesundara to the Director Board of the company. Wijesundara is a development expert who counts over a decade of experience in microfinance and SME finance in terms of advising on regulatory framework, sector strategies, bank training, green finance, social performance management and inclusive finance. Being an advisor and senior specialist with the SME Development Program of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (GIZ), he is extensively involved in both Private Sector Development (PSD) and Financial System Development (FSD) work within GIZ and beyond. 

As a multifaceted professional, he holds a Master’s degree in Economics (MA) from the University of Colombo as well as a Bachelors degree in Law (LL.B) and Bachelors degree in Science (B.Sc). He also has also had fellowships with several local and international professional bodies. He is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka since 2009 and is currently reading for the Masters of Laws (LLM) degree. Hasitha is an accredited trainer of microfinance and SME finance with international bodies such as the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany and CGAP. Further to that, he serves as a visiting senior lecturer at several universities and higher educational institutions.

He coordinated the initial setting up and up scaling of the Lanka Microfinance Practitioners’ Association (LMFPA) which is the main meso-level practitioner platform for microfinance Industry in Sri Lanka. He serves as an editorial board member of LMFPA for its annual publication - ‘Sri Lanka Microfinance Review’. He was also instrumental in establishing the dual diploma program at the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL) with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. 

In addition to his experience within Sri Lanka; he has hands-on experience regionally. Being a team member of appraisal missions for the Sustainable Regional Economic Growth and Investment Program (SREGIP) in Indonesia and the Promotion of Green Economic Development (ProGED) Program in the Philippines, he contributed to project design. He is conversant with the financial systems in countries including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Wijesundara joins as an non-Executive/Independent Director to an eminent director panel comprising Chairman Jonathan Alles, Deputy Chairman B. Premalal, Director Rose Cooray, Managing Director/CEO Chaminda Prabhath, Executive Director Crysanthi Thambiah, Director Sandamini Perera, Director Thimal Perera, Director Anushka Wijesinha and Director Dr. Udan Fernando.