Mohan Peiris new Seylan Bank Chairman?

Former Attorney General Mohan Peiris PC is tipped to be appointed as the new Chairman of the Seylan Bank.

The appointment on a non-executive capacity follows the resignation of veteran banker Eastman Narangoda at Seylan’s Annual General Meeting for 2011 held last month after a three year stint.

Peiris is currently the Senior Legal Advisor to Cabinet whilst previously he was also a Legal Consultant to the Central Bank and Ministry of Defence.

It appears that Seylan Board has opted for a non-banker as well a non-private sector personality to be the Chairman. It has also gone out for a replacement than sourcing someone from within the Board. When appointed it will be the first major private sector break for the highly qualified Peiris.

State funds and entities collectively own 31% of Seylan Bank whilst among major shareholders are Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (15%), Brown & Company (13.8%), Dr. T. Senthilverl (10%), LOLC Investments Ltd., (9.55%), EPF (8.26%) and Bank of Ceylon (7.5%).

The current Board of Directors of Seylan comprises Nihal Jayawanne PC, (Senior Independent Director) Lalith Withana (Independent), R. Nadarajah (Executive Director), Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris (Independent), Ajith Devasurendra (Non Executive), Ishara Nanayakkara (Non Executive(, P. Kudabalage (Non Executive), Mohan De Alwis (Non Executive), Samantha Ranatunga (Independent Non Executive) whilst General Manager and CEO is Kapila Ariyaratne.

Mohan Peiris’ specialisation has been in the areas of administrative law, commercial law, fundamental rights, industrial law, injunctions and criminal law, Counsel in arbitrations and as Arbitrator.

After entering the Sri Lanka Law College, Mohan was called to the Bar in 1975, starting his legal practice under senior lawyers D. R. P. Gunatilleke and Daya Perera, PC. Thereafter he enrolled as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1978.

In 1981 he joined the Attorney General’s Department as a State Counsel, later becoming a Senior State Counsel serving for over 15 years. During this time he trained at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy at Harvard Law School, the Centre for Police and Criminal Justice Studies at Jesus College, Cambridge and at George Washington University. He was appointed Attorney General between December 2008 and September 2011.

He holds a Diploma in Trial Advocacy Skills conferred by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy at its Teacher Training Trial Advocacy workshop at Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1988.