HNB Assurance PLC (HNBA) announced the appointments of Mr. Damien Fernando and Mr.Stuart Chapman as Non-Executive Directors while its subsidiary, HNB General Insurance Limited (HNBGI) announced the appointments of Mr. Damien Fernando, Mr. Sanjay Wijemanne and Mr. Arjuna Abeygunasekara as Non-Executive Directors to the respective Boards. These appointments have been approved at the recently concluded Company Annual General Meeting and also by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. The reconstituted Board of HNBA comprises of Mrs. Rose Cooray as Chairperson, Mr. Deepthi Lokuarachchi as
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mahendra Jayasekera, Mrs. Siromi Wickramasinghe, Dr. Sivakumar Selliah, Mr. Dilshan Rodrigo, Mr. Ravi Abeysuriya, Mr. Damien Fernando and Mr. Stuart Chapman. And the reconstituted Board of HNBGI comprises of Mrs Rose Cooray as Chairperson, Mr. Deepthi Lokuarachchi as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Faizal Salieh, Mr. Dilshan Rodrigo, Mrs. Marina Tharmaratnam, Mr. Damien Fernando, Mr. Sanjay Wijemanne and Mr. Arjuna Abeygunasekara.
Mr. Damien Fernando is an old boy of St. Peter’s College, Colombo and Royal College, Colombo, Mr. Fernando is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of United Kingdom and is a qualified Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants of Sri Lanka and obtained a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayawardenapura. Mr. Fernando has held many key positions in several sectors including Finance, Life and
General Insurance and has held positions on the Boards of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka, Lanka Hospital Corporation PLC, Melstacorp PLC, Pelwatte Sugar PLC and National Asset Management Limited. Presently Mr.Fernando is a member of the Boards of the Hatton National Bank PLC, HealthCey Private Limited and Addison Private Limited.
Mr. Stuart Chapman holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Colombo and a Diploma in Marketing, UK. He is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. He has also obtained a Diploma in Life Insurance Sales and Marketing from the Life Underwriters Training Council, USA. He is also a Fellow Member of the Institute of Management, UK. He is a Member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia and holds a Diploma in Business Management from the National Institute of Business Management, Sri Lanka. With over 38 years of professional experience in industries including Insurance, Merchant Banking, FMCG, Healthcare and Telecommunications, Mr. Chapman has held several key positions. He has served Janashakthi Insurance PLC in the capacity of Director/CEO and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmaceuticals as Managing Director, Lanka Orix Leasing Company in the capacity of Managing Director, Hemas Healthcare Sector as Managing Director, Reckitt Benckiser as Marketing Director and Unilever Sri Lanka as a Senior Brand Manager. He has been on the Boards of Ceylinco Insurance Co. Limited, Seylan Merchant Bank, Glaxo Wellcome Ceylon Limited, SmithKline Beecham Private Limited, Lanka Orix Leasing Company Limited and currently serves on the Boards of Hemas Pharmaceuticals Private Limited and nited Motors Lanka PLC. In addition, he has held several positions in the industry including that of Honorary President and Founding Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region, President of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry and Co-Chairman of the Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics Steering Committee of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Sanjay Wijemanne holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business & Finance from Mount Saint Mary’s University in the United States of America. Mr. Wijemanne currently holds the position of Deputy General Manager of Retail Banking at the Hatton National Bank PLC and
manages key areas pertaining to Personal Financial Services (Leasing, Pawning, Personal and Housing Loans), Credit Cards, Sales & Business Development, Digital Banking, Network Management, Deposit Mobilization, Marketing Communications, Customer Service, Club & Priority Banking, Inward Remittances & Exchange House Relationships and Bancassurance Channels. Having commenced his career at Ceylinco Securities & Financial Services, he then joined the Hatton National Bank PLC and subsequently The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, where he held many key positions including Vice President – Custody & Clearing, Head of Sales, Head of Branches including Premier Banking, Branch Manager - Kollupitiya Branch/Manager Premier Centre. He then joined the Standard Chartered Bank and held positions of Head of Retail Banking, General Manager - Premium Banking Branch Sales & Services and General Manager - Value Centre.
Mr. Arjuna Abeygunasekara counts over 20 years of experience in the banking sector including branch banking and treasury management in four leading banks in the country. He currently holds the position of Assistant General Manager - Treasury and Markets of Hatton National Bank PLC. Mr. Abeygunasekara holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Colombo and a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Colombo. He has obtained the status of ACI and the status of Chartered Global Management Accountant and is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant. In addition, he serves the Centre for Banking Studies of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka as a recourse person.
Sep
HNB Assurance PLC (HNBA) proudly joins hands with the rest of the industry to mark Insurance Month 2025, reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the dreams, aspirations and financial security of Sri Lankans across the nation.In recent years, HNB Assurance has emerged as one of the most dynamic players in the sector, consistently delivering growth while earning the trust of its policyholders. Guided by a customer-first philosophy, the company has expanded its reach, refined its service delivery, and invested in technology to ensure protection remains accessible and relevant in today’s fast-changing world.Sharing his thoughts on the significance of Insurance Month, Mr. Lasitha Wimalaratne, Executive Director / CEO of HNB Assurance, stated, “Insurance Month is more than a celebration, it is a reminder of the vital role our industry plays in strengthening the resilience of individuals, families, and businesses. At HNB Assurance, we remain dedicated to deepening trust, driving awareness and creating value for our stakeholders through innovative solutions and a strong service ethos.”In terms of providing innovative solutions, HNB Assurance has been at the forefront of product innovation, introducing solutions tailored to evolving customer needs. Among its recent additions are Family Guard and Privileged Fast.“Our product philosophy has always been centered on people, their aspirations, their concerns and future. By continuously listening to our customers and understanding their requirements, we are able to create solutions that not only safeguard them from risk but also empower them to live with confidence.”, added, Mr. Wimalaratne.This year’s celebrations also come on the back of multiple recognitions for HNB Assurance, including being named the Best Life Insurance Company by Global Brands Magazine UK, winning the Life Insurance Sector Award at the National Business Excellence Awards, being recognized as the Best Life Bancassurance Provider, receiving the Great Place to Work Certification and being honored as one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces. Collectively, these accolades not only highlight the trust and confidence placed in HNB Assurance but also serves as a testament to the way the company continues to celebrate its people, its customers and its journey forward.As the company looks ahead, it remains committed to advancing the industry through customer-centric innovation, meaningful partnerships and sustainable practices. With Insurance Month serving as a platform to raise awareness and celebrate achievements, HNB Assurance continues to stand as a trusted partner in protection for all Sri Lankans.
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Aug
HNB Assurance PLC (HNBA), one of Sri Lanka’s leading life insurance providers, has once again been honoured as one of the nation’s most outstanding women-friendly workplaces at the 2025 Satynmag Women Friendly Workplace Awards. This accolade, which marks the fourth such recognition for HNBA, underscores the organisation’s enduring dedication to creating an inclusive, progressive and empowering work environment for women across all levels of the company.The Women Friendly Workplace Awards are designed to spotlight corporations that actively promote gender equity, cultivate inclusive leadership, and champion the advancement of women within the corporate sphere. In receiving this recognition year after year, HNB Assurance continues to demonstrate that its policies and practices are not only consistent but also continuously evolving to meet the changing needs of a modern workforce.“At HNB Assurance, we believe that an enlightened workplace is one where every individual, and especially women, feel empowered to grow, contribute and innovate,” said Mr. Lasitha Wimalaratne, Executive Director / CEO of HNB Assurance. “This recognition reflects not only our dedication to embedding best-in-class HR practices, but also our conviction that true organisational strength is forged through women-friendly policies, inclusive leadership, equitable opportunity and a culture that celebrates and cultivates excellence. My sincere thanks to Satynmag for this recognition. We are honoured to be recognised as a women-friendly workplace and remain steadfast in our commitment to setting new benchmarks for empowering women in Sri Lanka.HNBA’s Head of Human Resources / DGM, Mr. Navin Rupasinghe, reflected on the achievement stating “Over the years, we have introduced a series of targeted initiatives from wellbeing programmes and leadership mentoring to structured training and responsive grievance mechanisms which go beyond symbolic gestures and instead create a tangible impact in the everyday professional lives of our employees. Winning this accolade for the fourth time assures us that these interventions are not only appreciated externally, but are also deeply resonant internally, helping us to build trust and loyalty across the organisation. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the in.she committee, whose contributions have been pivotal in translating our vision into meaningful action, and who continue to drive the progress that we are proud to celebrate today.”
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Aug
HNB Assurance PLC, one of Sri Lanka’s fastest-growing insurance providers, has been recognized as the Best Life Insurance Company – Sri Lanka 2024 by Global Brands Magazine, UK. This international accolade emphasizes HNBA’s position as a strong player within the life insurance sector, continuously raising the bar in customer experience, innovation and industry excellence.Throughout the year, HNBA has been celebrated with numerous local and international accolades, including being named the Insurance Sector Winner at the National Business Excellence Awards and Runner-up for Excellence in Local Market Reach (National Level). The Company has also been recognized as the Best Life Bancassurance Provider by the Global Banking and Finance Review for five consecutive years, listed among the top 40 Best Workplaces in Sri Lanka and ranked 09th among large scale work places by Great Place to Work, honored as Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women Friendly Workplace 2024 and acknowledged as a Company with Great Managers.These recognitions highlight the balance of HNBA’s focus on business performance, the strength of its people, and a culture that empowers growth, the very foundations that have made the Company one of the strongest and most respected players in the insurance industry today.Speaking about the award, Mr. Lasitha Wimalarathne, Executive Director / Chief Executive Officer of HNB Assurance, stated, “Being recognized as the Best Life Insurance Company by Global Brands Magazine is an honor, as this award validates the collective efforts of our dedicated team and our commitment to protecting the dreams and aspirations of our policyholders. Our journey of growth and recognition is driven by a simple principle, keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do, while embracing innovation and building trust across every interaction. Our strong financial performance reflects this and gives us the confidence to expand further in delivering meaningful protection to all Sri Lankans. My sincere thanks to the Global Brands Magazine for this recognition and I dedicate this award to every single person who is a part of the HNBA family.”
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