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.
Nov
HNB Assurance PLC (HNBA) was recently recognized as the winner of the Best Well-being Initiative for Working Parents at the Parent-Inclusive Workplace Summit 2025 hosted by Parenthood Global. This recognition, earned through an independent evaluation among multiple organizations, stands as a testament to HNBA’s commitment to support working parents.For HNBA, this award is a validation of years of intentional effort, focused policies and a culture built on empathy. From caregiver leave to flexible support ecosystems, from in.she initiatives to mom-inclusive programs, HNBA has consistently placed the well-being of working parents at the center of its people agenda. Sharing his thoughts, the Executive Director / Chief Executive Officer of HNB Assurance PLC, Lasitha Wimalaratne, stated “This award is deeply personal to us and my sincere thanks to Parenthood Global for this wonderful recognition. Our commitment has always been to build a company where people feel supported not only as professionals, but as human beings with families, responsibilities and dreams. This recognition is proof that compassion, when embedded into culture, creates a lasting impact.”Navin Rupasinghe, Head of Human Resources / DGM of HNB Assurance PLC, added, “Every HR policy we design and every initiative we introduce is rooted in one belief, that our people deserve a workplace that honors their whole life, not just their job titles. Working parents give so much of themselves every day, and it is our duty and privilege to create an environment that lifts them. I certainly believe that this award belongs to our incredible parents who inspire us to do better, every single day.”
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Nov
HNB Assurance PLC continues to reinforce its commitment to uplifting communities across Sri Lanka through its three core CSR pillars, Health Protection, Environmental Protection and Education Protection. Anchored on these pillars, the company has rolled out a series of impactful initiatives aimed at enhancing wellbeing, improving access to essential resources, and supporting the next generation.Most recently, under the Health Protection Pillar, HNB Assurance supported P/ Wijayapura Primary School, Bisobandaragama Primary School, Mahaweli Primary School and Kidalagema Primary School in Medawachchiya by installing Reverse Osmosis (RO) water filtering systems. These systems provide access to clean and safe drinking water, helping protect schoolchildren from consuming contaminated water and ensuring healthier learning environments. With the completion of these four water projects in 2025, HNB Assurance has now completed over 75 water projects across the country.In addition to these efforts, HNB Assurance continues to champion several long-term development programs. The company conducts pregnant mother programs that promote maternal wellbeing, Grade 05 scholarship programs that encourage academic excellence among young learners and financial literacy programs designed to empower communities with essential money management skills.Through these ongoing initiatives, HNB Assurance remains dedicated to protecting lives, nurturing growth and supporting resilient, thriving communities across the country.
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Nov
HNB Assurance PLC has entered into a strategic partnership with Dialog Finance PLC, a pioneer in digital financial solutions, to further enhance its digital payment infrastructure and accelerate its journey towards achieving 100% digital premium collection.This collaboration marks a significant milestone in HNB Assurance’s digital transformation journey, reflecting the company’s continuous commitment to improving customer convenience, operational efficiency and financial inclusivity. By integrating Dialog Finance’s advanced Genie Business platform, which includes Payment Links and Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) services, HNB Assurance aims to streamline its premium collection process and redefine how customers interact with insurance services.Through these solutions, customers will now be able to make payments effortlessly and securely, either through personalized payment links shared by HNB Assurance or via secure online gateways. This eliminates the need for manual or in-person transactions, ensuring instant payment acknowledgments, and offers customers a faster, safer, and more convenient experience.This partnership leveraging innovation and technology not only strengthens the technological backbone of HNB Assurance’s payment ecosystem but also align with the company’s long-term vision of becoming a fully digital insurer, offering end-to-end solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern customers.
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