HNB CEO Pallewatte appointed to Bankers’ Institute Board

HNB Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Damith Pallewatte, has been appointed to the Governing Board of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL), the country’s apex body for banking education and professional development.

“ For more than six decades, the Institute has been central to building the skills and integrity of our profession. At a time when banking is being reshaped by digitalisation, sustainability, and new customer expectations, the role of professional education has never been more critical,”said HNB’s Managing Director / CEO, Damith Pallewatte.

Appointed as HNB’s Managing Director/CEO in November 2024 after serving as Acting CEO earlier that year, he has been instrumental in strengthening HNB’s wholesale banking franchise, having previously served as Deputy General Manager of the Wholesale Banking Group. Before joining HNB in 2015, he was Chief Risk Officer at Nations Trust Bank, where he led the development of robust risk frameworks during a period of global financial turbulence.

Pallewatte holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and a BSc. Management (Hons.) from the London School of Economics (University of London). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK), a Chartered Global Management Accountant, and a Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) from GARP.