Professional banker Shashi Kandambi appointed as LSUG Chairperson

Seated from left: Treasurer Myura Balamurali (Union Bank), Vice Chairperson B.A.H.S. Preena (Commercial Bank), Chairperson Shashi KandambiJassim (Sampath Bank), former Chairperson Roshan Wanduragala (Seylan Bank) and Secretary Shiyamal De Silva (NTB) 
Standing from left: Assistant Treasurer Dharshika Fernando (Commercial Bank), D.A.K. Wijenanda (People’s Bank), Hareendra Jayasundara (Standard Chartered Bank) and Aruna Sumanasinghe (HNB)
Absent: Assistant to Secretary Susil Kumara (NSB) and Dilan Fernando (Capital Alliance)

Sampath Bank Senior Deputy General Manager International Banking Shashi Kandambi was elected as Lanka SWIFT User Group (LSUG) and National Member Group Chairperson, at the EGM held on October 17, 2023.
The new Executive Council was also appointed for 2023/24.
The objective of the Lanka SWIFT User Group is to serve its members, which comprise SWIFT user banks and finance companies, including reviewing technical developments and their implications coordinating activities of members and facilitate a forum to resolve any issues that may arise and maintain contact with SWIFT user groups of other countries. 
As an elected representative of the SWIFT, the chairperson is the focal point of contact between the SWIFT and local SWIFT community. In this important role, the new chairperson together with the executive council is expected to address a wide range of topics with key areas of engagement and collaboration, focusing on ISO 20022 readiness, adoption of SWIFT’s global payment initiatives such as ‘SWIFT Go’ and revalidation to name a few.