Kavinda de Zoysa Appointed as Chairman of Bank of Ceylon

Colombo, Sri Lanka – November 4th, 2024: The Bank of Ceylon (BOC), Sri Lanka’s leading state-owned financial institution, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Kavinda de Zoysa as its new Chairman.

Mr. de Zoysa, a career banker with over 30 years of industry experience and 25 years in management, brings proven leadership capabilities and strategic insight to BOC. His deep understanding of local and global markets positions him well to support the Bank’s objectives in this evolving environment. Known as a team player and innovator, he champions ethics, compliance, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), and believes strongly in meritocracy and agile execution.

“I am honoured to be appointed as the Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon, the largest bank in Sri Lanka and a pillar of strength in the country’s financial sector” said Mr. de Zoysa. “I look forward to collaborating with the talented professionals at BOC to drive growth and deliver value to all stakeholders. Together, we will uphold the bank’s legacy while embracing innovation to meet the evolving needs of the Sri Lankan economy, reinforcing our role as the ‘Bankers to the Nation’. This is a pivotal moment for the country, as we enter a new economic renaissance and aim to position Sri Lanka as one of the most dynamic economies in the region.”

He most recently served as Director and Country Business Head of Citibank N.A., Sri Lanka. His nearly two decades of experience at Citi covered Corporate & Investment Banking, Capital Markets, M&A, Risk Management and Advisory. For over a decade, he was a core member of the Country Management Committee and all country franchise Governance Committees. His leadership at Citi saw him develop, implement, and execute Strategic Plans, lead landmark Corporate Finance & Capital Market transactions, Advisory, and promote Digitization.

Prior to joining Citigroup, he held roles at NDB Bank (former ABN Amro), Nations Trust Bank during its formation, National Development Bank and Seylan Bank, where he began his career as a Banking Assistant at the age of 18. His experience also includes Retail & Branch Banking, Project Finance, Development Banking, SME Lending, Strategic & Corporate Planning, Marketing, Banking Operations and Audit.

Currently, Mr. de Zoysa serves as a Global Council Member of CIMA U.K. He previously served as Chairperson of the MESANA Region REG for the AICPA (Association of International Certified Professional Accountants) and is a Senior Global Membership Assessor for CIMA/AICPA since 2011 (U.K. trained). He was Chief Examiner, Moderator, and Advisor to the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and continues as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo and the University of Ruhuna. He was also a Board member of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), Sri Lanka.

He earned his MBA from the University of Colombo, where he graduated with merit honours and was a gold medallist. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) U.K., a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) U.K. and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (CMA). He has also completed an Executive Education program in Leading with Data and Analytics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is an alumnus of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa.

The Bank of Ceylon extends its warmest congratulations to Mr. de Zoysa on his appointment and looks forward to his stewardship in guiding the bank toward continued success.