Sampath CEO Aravinda to accept NDB CEO slot?
View(s):A new Director/CEO – possibly one who is currently heading a private bank – has been approached by National Development Bank (NDB) board to steer the bank, following Rajendra Theagarajah’s impending exit, and that may be Aravinda Perera, Managing Director at Sampath Bank. This came after Sampath Bank (Sampath) on Friday announced the appointment of Nanda Fernando as its new Managing Director. “The NDB board is discussing with bankers and the frontrunner is a successful banker at a top private bank,” a source told the Business Times at the time indicating that it’s Mr. Perera. He said that as it wasn’t planned, Mr. Theagarajah’s resignation effective from November 30 to ‘pursue wider interest’, an announcement by the bank to the Colombo Stock Exchange had created ripples at NDB.
Having played a pivotal role at Sampath Bank since the year of its inception, Mr. Fernando served in the capacity of Chief Operating Officer, prior to this appointment, the announcement said. It said Mr. Perera was retiring from the bank. Mr. Fernando has been responsible for driving multiple aspects of the bank and has supported Transactional Banking covering Retail and Corporate Banking, among many other key growth areas. Former CEO of HNB, Mr. Theagarajah who was head hunted for NDB resigned after serving three years in the post while its chairman N.G. (Tanky) Wickremaratne stepped down on August 31, with Ananda Athukorala taking over as the new chairman.