Harris appointed MD, Aravinda Deputy MD at Sampath Bank

Senior banker Harris Premaratane will be made Managing Director of Sampath Bank whilst young professional Aravinda Perera is to be Joint Managing Director with effect from 1 January.

Premaratne is currently the Executive Director and CEO whilst Perera is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. Sampath Bank Board decided on the new appointments at its meeting early this week.

Following the retirement of Anil Amarasuriya after a long stint, Sampath Bank didn’t have a Managing Director but only a CEO cum Executive Director.

Premaratne joined Sampath Bank as CEO-designate in October 2008 and was appointed to the Board a month later. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London.

Prior to joining Sampath Bank he was a Senior Deputy General Manager at Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc, from which position he retired.

 He has 39 years of overall banking experience with expertise in the areas of Trade Services, Trade Finance, Corporate Credit, Corporate Finance, Recoveries and Correspondent Relations.

He was a Director of Sri Lanka Credit Information Bureau and was the Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Sri Lanka Banks’ Association. He is a Director of the Asiri Hospital Group of Companies. He also held the position of Director of Softlogic Group of Companies.

Perera was appointed to the Sampath Board in November 2008.

Prior to being promoted as COO, Perera functioned as the Deputy General Manager (Corporate Banking), Assistant General Manager (Corporate Banking), Assistant General Manager (Credit) and Senior Manager (Corporate Credit) of Sampath Bank. Before joining Sampath Bank, he served at DFCC as a Senior Project Officer and at Ceylon Tobacco Company, as Departmental Manager & Service Engineer and as an Engineer at National Milk Board.

He received his Degree in Engineering from University of Moratuwa in 1981 and his MBA from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura in 1989. He is also a Fellow member of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Engineers, Sri Lanka and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, U.K. He is also a Director of Credit Information Bureau, Sri Lanka (CRIB).