Kalupahana new Treasurer at OPA

Tuesday, 12 November 2024 02:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Chandrasiri Kalupahana

Senior Chartered Accountant Chandrasiri Kalupahana was elected uncontested as the Treasurer of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA) for the year 2024/2025 at its recent Annual General Meeting.

The OPA is the apex body representing 51 professional associations across 34 professions, with a combined membership of over 60,000 professionals. Member associations include, among others, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), and the Government Medical Officers’ Association of Sri Lanka (GMOA).

Kalupahana has been an Executive Council Member of the OPA since 2022/2023 and a Forum Member since 2017, representing CA Sri Lanka. Throughout his tenure, he has contributed to several committees, including the Finance and Budget, Annual Conference, and Development Policies and National Financial Budget Committees.

A Fellow Member of CA Sri Lanka, Kalupahana also holds membership in several other professional bodies. His career began at KPMG Sri Lanka, and he has since served as a Governing Council Member and Business School Chairman at CA Sri Lanka. Currently, he serves on the Boards of Softlogic Finance PLC and Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) as an Independent Non-Executive Director, and previously held roles as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC and Lanka Hospitals Diagnostics Ltd. In these roles, he has served on multiple subcommittees, including as the Chairman of Audit Committees.

Kalupahana has held various senior management positions, including Group Chief Officer at SLT, where he oversaw the Internal Audit, Revenue Assurance, and Fraud Management departments. Before joining SLT, he served as Chief Financial Officer at the Regional Development Bank and as Assistant General Manager at Pan Asia Bank.

Additionally, he held General Manager positions at regulated companies in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Angola, and has also worked in Saudi Arabia. His extensive international career includes professional travels to the USA, UK, and numerous African countries.

He has also participated in international business training programs organised by professional bodies in banking, finance, auditing, education, and telecommunications, with training conducted in countries such as Portugal, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Kalupahana has made significant contributions to society, including serving two terms as President of the CA Sri Lanka Members Benevolent Society (CAMBS), which supports over 1,300 CA members of the CAMBS, and as a Cabinet Officer in Lions International District 306 of Sri Lanka. He is a Life Member of the Association of Professional Bankers in Sri Lanka.

An alumnus of Nalanda College, Colombo, Kalupahana was a distinguished student, serving as a Senior School Prefect and earning College Colours for Cadetting, winning the prestigious all-island championship trophy, the “Hermann Loos.”

Since graduating, he has continued to support his alma mater, serving as Auditor of the Old Boys’ Association and the School Development Society.