The Capital Market Awards and Forecast Dinner, which is the flagship annual event of CFA Sri Lanka, will feature UK Russell Investments Managing Director (MD) and Head of Pension Solutions Group Shamindra Perera as the keynote speaker this year. 

Endorsed by the Colombo Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission, the fundamental objective of the awards is to inspire and incentivize capital market participants and members of wider stakeholder groups to strive for standards of excellence.  

Each year, the featured keynote speakers have been eminent personalities whose knowledge sharing on global and regional experiences have been of immense value in facilitating continuous market development and promoting best practices. 

This year, the gathered regulators, stockbrokers, analysts, CFA Charterholders and the senior management of listed companies will gain the expertise of Perera, who is responsible for developing and delivering strategy and implementation solutions to institutional clients in both the UK and Ireland, including fiduciary management and investment management of multi-asset portfolios.  

Perera, who was one of the first two Charterholders in Sri Lanka and now lives in London, in 2002, developed the company’s private client business strategy in EMEA. 

It was he who launched the outsourced multi-manager fund platform for a UK private bank at the time. His prowess continued as over the next few years, he began developing and managing Russell’s business across the Middle East, working with several sovereign wealth funds, forming numerous strategic alliances with banks across the region and launching an innovative Shariah compliant multi-manager investment platform.  

For the last five years, Perera has been focusing on institutional business and has been instrumental in evolving Russell’s fiduciary management offering, including developing the strategic alliance with Aon Consulting UK, designing and delivering an integrated asset liability management solution for the UK pension funds.  

Building his keynote address around the theme ‘Be the one investors seek’, Perera will elaborate on common characteristics inherent in outstanding analysts, fund managers and internationally-acclaimed asset management companies, best practices followed by listed companies whose investor relations functions can be emulated and share his own experiences of the journey he has travelled as an internationally recognised fund manager.  

Perera’s keynote address will be followed by a panel discussion, based on the salient points within the address. Ironwood Capital Partners Managing Partner Chanaka Wickramasuriya CFA will moderate the panel comprising Lynear Wealth Managing Director Dr. Naveen Gunawardena and Asia Securities Managing Director Dumith Fernando.  

The highlight of the event is the Capital Market Awards Ceremony, where awards will be presented for the Best Equity Research Report in Gold, Silver and Bronze for individual research analysts/teams (selected from among stockbroking firms). An award for the Best Stockbroking Research Team (based on a poll among user groups and scored by an independent panel of judges) will also be presented besides awarding the Best Investor Relations function presented by a listed corporate. The latter is adjudged on a secret poll from among user groups and presents Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.  

CFA Society Sri Lanka President Sanjay Kulatunga commends the quality of research reports that have been produced by financial analysts over the last two years since the awards were mooted.  

“We have observed a tremendous improvement in these reports which is reflective of the calibre of professionals and teams whose acumen, capabilities, knowledge and competencies clearly continue raising the bar in producing such quality reports.  The awards have also been a catalyst in inspiring individuals to strive for excellence, while aspiring for recognition which permeates to adding value to their career paths.”  

He mentioned that listed companies too have become more aware of improving investor relations and being more stakeholder savvy, gradually imbuing best practices, which is highly encouraging.  

“These awards are meant to recognise the achievements and contribution made by analysts and researchers towards maintaining and advancing the integrity of local capital markets. We remain enthusiastic about continuing to integrate CFA Sri Lanka’s vision of shaping a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry into strengthening the blueprint we have now formulated for the evolution of a stronger, stable and forward-thinking financial ecosystem.”