Sampath Bank gets new Chairman, youthful new additions to Board

Sampath Bank with effect from 1 January has got a new Chairman and several new youthful additions to its Board of Directors.

The Bank announced on Friday that at a Board of Directors meeting held on 29 December Chairman I.W. Senanayake decided to step down with effect from 31 December. Whilst accepting this decision the Board of Directors unanimously decided to appoint existing Director K.D. Dhammika Perera as the Chairman of the Bank with effect from 1 January 2012.

Sampath also announced that in keeping in line with Corporate Governance regulations of the Central Bank, five directors stepped down. They were S.G. Wijesinha (Deputy Chairman), M.A. Abeynaike (Senior Director), D.J. Gunaratne, Dr. S. Kelegama and L.J.K. Hettiaratchchi.

In place of retiring directors, Sampath also announced the appointment of Channa Palansuriya, Sanjiva Senanayake, Annika H.W. Senanayake, Ranil P. Pathirana and W. Deshal P. De Mel as new Directors. Here are the brief profiles on the new directors.

Channa Palansuriya

Channa Palansuriya was a Board Member of Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) from 2005 - 2010, Executive Member of Joint Apparel Association Forum [ Board Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel [SLITA]. He is also a member of the Sri Lanka Apparel Sourcing Association. Palansuriya was the Chairman of the Apparels Exporters Association 200 GFP (ARE 200 GFP) during 2006-2008.

Presently he is the Chairman/Managing Director of Orit Apparel Lanka (Private) Ltd and Chairman of CC Lanka (Private) Ltd for the last 10 years. He won several prestigious awards. Among these awards, the Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs for the year 2002 Silver Award and he also won the Silver Award of the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka for the Garment Extra large Category for the year 2004. Palansuriya also heads the Sri Lanka Country Office of Orit Holdings Limited in British Virgin Island.He is a past pupil of Ananda College.

Sanjiva Senanayake

Sanjiva Senanayake has obtained degrees in Master of Science in Communication Engineering and Bachelor of Science [first class honours] in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from University of London, Imperial College of Science and Technology and Kings College respectively.

Senanayake was appointed as the Senior Investment Officer, Global Financial Markets Department in International Finance Corporation from April 2006 to March 2009. He was the Resident Representative for Sri Lanka & Maldives for the period June1998 to March 2006.

He also was an Independent Financial/Banking Consultant in South and South East Asia [September 1996 to June 1998].

Senanayake was the Assistant General Manager I Treasury & Investment Banking at National Development Bank of Sri Lanka for the period April 1994 to September 1996. He was the Consultant [Treasury & Business Development] at Commercial Bank of Ceylon from May 1992 to March 1994.

Prior to this, from November 1979 to July 1985 he was attached to Citi Bank Sri Lanka; August 1985 to April 1988 Citi Bank, Brunei, May 1988 to April 1992 Citi Bank, Sydney.

Senanayake was also the Co-ordinating Engineer for Greater Colombo Economic Commission in 1978/1979 and Development Planning Assistant for United Nations Development Program in 1977/1978.

Senanayake served as a Director for Suntel, Nations Trust Bank and Alternate Director of Commercial Bank of Ceylon as a Nominee of IFC.

Presently, he is a Director of Maldives Finance Leasing Co, Hemas Power Ltd Hem as Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Asian Hotels and Properties PLC.

Annika Senanayake

Annika Senanayake is a Director of IWS Holdings (Private) Limited, heading the Corporate Planning for the Group in diversified business interests in telecommunications, broadcasting, aviation, automobiles, shipping, warehousing and logistics support services, packing and food processing industries.

She is also the Chief Executive Officer of ART Television Broadcasting Company (Private) United and IWS Geographical Information Systems (Private) Ltd.

She is a Graduate of the University of Nottingham in United Kingdom.

Ranil Pathirana

Ranil Pathirana is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants UK and B. Commerce (special) from University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte

He is the Group Finance Director at Hidaramani Group of Companies since year 2000. He is also on the Boards of Hayleys PLC, Softlogic Finance PLC and Asian Alliance Insurance PLC as a Non Executive Director.Pathirana was the Assistant Vice President at Vanilc Incorporation from 1996 2000. Also seconded as Chief Executive Officer of Vanik Bangladesh Securities and was responsible for setting up of Stock Brokering Company in Chittagong and Dhaka.

Pathirana was the Chief Executive Officer of Vanik Corporate Services and Vanik Asset Management. Pathirana has Sri Lanka Colours in Badminton and also captained the Royal College Badminton Team and was a Senior Prefect of Royal College.

Deshal De Mel

Deshal De Mel has obtained a Masters of Science in International Political Economy from London School of Economics in 2005 - 2006.

He obtained a Degree in Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics from the University of Oxford in 2001 - 2004.

At present, De Mel is an Economist attached to the Strategic Business Development Unit of Hayleys PLC.

Previously he was attached to institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka as an Economist from September 2004 to October 2010.De Mel was the Assistant Secretary at Sri Lanka Economic Association in 2008-2009.