Board of Directors

Asite Drupath Bandara Talwatte

Independent Non-Executive Chairman


Asite Talwatte, who joined the Board of Central Finance Company PLC on 30th June 2016 was appointed the Chairman of the Company on 1st July 2020. He is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of the United Kingdom. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Financial Administration awarded by the ICASL and the University of Wageningem, Holand and a MBA from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka. He has also participated in a Kellogg Executive Programme at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. He has worked with Ernst & Young for over 37 years, during which period he functioned as the Country Managing Partner for over a decade. He has worked with Ernst & Young‘s Far East Area Executive Committee, the Area Advisory Council and served on the ASEAN Leadership Committee. He has served as a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (2002/2003) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Sri Lanka (1995/1996) and has also served as the Chairman of the Statutory Accounting Standards Committee, the Auditing Standards Committee, the Urgent Issues Task Force and the Examinations Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. Mr. Talwatte has been closely associated with the development of Corporate Governance in Sri Lanka. He was actively involved in the development of the Code of Best Practice on Corporate Governance of 2013 of ICASL. In 2012 Mr. Talwatte co-chaired a Committee on Corporate Governance jointly set up by the ICASL and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka to review and revise the Code of Best Practice on Corporate Governance 2013. He chaired the Committee set up by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka to review and revise the Code of Corporate Governance issued in 2017. He also represents ICASL and chairs the Integrated Reporting Council of Sri Lanka. He has served as a Director of People’s Bank and the SME Bank and functions as the Chairman of Management Systems (Pvt) Ltd. and serves on the Boards of several other companies including Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, Sunshine Holdings PLC, Tokyo Cement Lanka PLC, CT Holdings PLC, Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC and Ceylon Hospitals PLC.

Eranjith Harendra Wijenaike

Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer


Eranjith Wijenaike is the Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer of Central Finance Company PLC and has been a member of the Board since 1st April 1983. He is a Director of Tea Smallholder Factories PLC, Trans Asia Hotels PLC, Equity One PLC, Central Industries PLC and served as a founder Director of Nations Trust Bank PLC. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance and Management.

Arjuna Kapila Gunaratne

Deputy Managing Director/Deputy Chief Executive Officer


Arjuna Gunaratne, Deputy Managing Director/Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the company, has been a member of the Board since 20th February 2002. He oversees the functions of Strategic Planning and Risk Management of the company. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK. He is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant. He also serves on the Board of Central Industries PLC.

Dhammika Prasanna de Silva

Director/Chief Operating Officer


Prasanna de Silva is the Director/Chief Operating Officer of Central Finance Company PLC and has been a member of the Board since 1st July 2011. He served as the Chairman of the Leasing Association of Sri Lanka from 2007 to 2009. He also serves as a director of Nations Trust Bank PLC. He is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants - UK and has completed all examinations of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) programme.

Gerard Shamil Niranjan Peiris

Executive Director


Shamil Peiris is the Director (Finance) of Central Finance Company PLC and has been a member of the Board since 1st April 1983. He serves on the Boards of many companies within and outside the Group. He possesses over 38 years of post -qualification experience. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Institute of Credit Management & Society of Certified Management Accountants - Sri Lanka, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants - UK, British Institute of Management and Association of Corporate Treasurers - UK. He is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Agampodi Damitha Nandanie de Zoysa

Independent Non-Executive Director


Dr.(Mrs.) A.D.N. de Zoysa was appointed to the Board of Central Finance Company PLC on 15th February 2017. Dr. (Mrs.) de Zoysa holds a B.A (Hons.) Degree in Economics (Statistics) from the University of Peradeniya, M.Sc. Degree in Agricultural Development Economics from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, M.A. Degree in Economics from the Ohio State University,Columbus, Ohio, USA and Ph.D. Degree in Agricultural Economics from the Ohio State University,Columbus, Ohio USA.She was the former Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation Industries from 2014 to 2015, the former Secretary to the Ministry of Productivity Promotion from 2013 to 2014, the former Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development from 2010 to 2013 and was the Director General of the Department of Fiscal Policy of the Ministry of Finance and Planning from 2005 to 2006 and the Director General of the Department of Development Finance of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Treasury from 2006 to 2010.Dr. (Mrs.) de Zoysa serves as a Consultant/ Advisor to CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. and has served as the Chairperson of the Plantation Trust Fund, Board Member of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Export Development Board, The National Aquatic Resources & Research Development Agency (NARA), The National Water Supply and Drainage Board and Member of theBoard of the Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology (SLINTEC).Dr. (Mrs.) de Zoysa served as a Director of DFCC Bank, Lankaputhra Development Bank and SriLanka Savings Bank during her tenure at the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

Arjun Rishya Fernando

Independent Non-Executive Director


Arjun Fernando was appointed to the Board on 16th August 2017 and serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Integrated Risk Management Committee. Mr Fernando holds an Engineering degree (BSc) from the Southern Illinois University, USA and a Master’s degree (MSc) in Management from Clemson University, South Carolina, USA. He is also an Associate of the Institute of Financial Studies (Chartered Institute of Bankers), UK. A career banker with local and international experience, Mr. Fernando previously served as Director / Chief Executive Officer of DFCC Bank PLC. Mr Fernando started his career at HSBC and has served in diverse senior management positions, including Chief Operating Officer HSBC Sri Lanka, Chief Technology & Services Officer HSBC Bangladesh, Regional Head of Change and Delivery (Commercial Banking, Trade and Supply Chain) HSBC Asia Pacific , based in Hong Kong. Mr Fernando is a Director of the Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka and a Director of the Board of Directors of Home Finance Company, Fiji.

Chandika Kushan Hettiarachchi

Executive Director


Chandika Kushan Hettiarachchi, was appointed as Director Marketing of the Company with effect from 17th July 2018. Having started his career at Ceylinco Development Bank as an Investment Analyst in 1998, Chandika joined Central Finance in November 2000 as Manager (Credit) and held several senior managerial positions prior to his appointment as an Executive Director. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK (ACMA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Wales, UK.Chandika Hettiarachchi counts over 20 years of experience in the Non- banking Financial Services sector, which includes over 17 years at Central Finance Company PLC. He has carried out many assignments as a Consultant to numerous International Development Agencies including the International Finance Corporation (IFC). He is also a Board member of CF Insurance Brokers (Pvt), Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Central Finance and the Leasing Association of Sri Lanka.

Kuda Banda Herath

Independent Non -Executive Director


Kuda Herath was appointed to the Board on 16th February 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree in applied chemistry from the University of Kingston, London and currently serves as the Executive Director at A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., overlooking the Nutrition, Consumer and eyewear businesses of the Company.Mr.Herath has extensive knowledge in managing and developing global brands for the Sri Lankan market.Mr. Herath possess over 25 years’ experience in the fast moving consumer goods industry, having held middle management positions in the areas of sales and marketing at Nestle Lanka PLC previously.

Manjula de Silva

Independent Non -Executive Director


Manjula Hiranya de Silva was appointed to the Board on 1st July 2020. He holds a BA Hons (First Class) degree in Economics from the University of Colombo and a MBA from London Business School, UK. He is also a FCMA (UK) and a CGMA. Further, he has pursued executive education at INSEAD Business School, France and Harvard Business School, USA. He was recently appointed as the Secretary General and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with effect from 1st February 2020. Prior to that, he served as Chairman of the State owned National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF) during 2015 - 2019. He also served as a Commission Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Sri Lanka during 2018 - 19 and as a Consultant to the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development during 2017 - 18. Prior to 2015, he served as the Managing Director of HNB Assurance PLC for 9 years and as its CEO for 2 more years. He has also held leadership positions as General Manager, Eagle NDB Fund Management Company Ltd (currently NDB Wealth Management), General Manager – Corporate Lines and Human Resources, Eagle Insurance Co. Ltd (currently AIA Insurance) and Director General, Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC). In his capacity as Chairman – NITF, he served on the Governing Council of Asian Reinsurance Corporation based in Bangkok representing the Government of Sri Lanka. Currently, he is an independent non - executive director and Chairman – Audit Committee of BPPL Holdings PLC. He also served as the Chairman of CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) Sri Lanka Board in 2016 and was subsequently appointed to its Regional Board for MESANA (Middle East, South Asia and North Africa) Region. He was a Committee Member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce for a long period of time and has served as the Chairman of its Steering Committee on Insurance. He is a Past President of both Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL) and Unit Trust Association of Sri Lanka (UTASL).

Chaminda Sampath Hettiarachchi

Executive Director


Chaminda Sampath Hettiarachchi, General Manager (Legal) has been appointed as Director Corporate Affairs of the Company with effect from 01st July 2021. Having started his career as an Executive Trainee at Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC in 1999, he joined the company in July 2002 as Manager (Recoveries) and held several senior managerial positions prior to his appointment as an Executive Director. C.S.Hettiarachchi is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree from University of Colombo. He also holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenapura. C.S.Hettiarachchi counts over 19 years of experience in the Financial Sector, which includes over 18 years’ service at Central Finance Company PLC. He serves as a director of following Central Finance group companies; Central Industries PLC, CF Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Limited, Dehigama Hotels Company Ltd., Central Transport & Travels Ltd., and Mark Marine Services (Pvt) Ltd. C.S.Hettiarachchi is the current Chairman of Leasing Association of Sri Lanka (LASL) and a director of Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka (CRIB). He is also a member of the Financial System Stability Consultative Committee (FSSCC) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He was the representative of LASL to The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and a member of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’s National Agenda Committee on Finance and Capital Markets. He had served as a director of Finance Houses Association (FHA).

Chandima Lalith Kumar Perera Jayasuriya

Non-Executive Chairman


Kumar Jayasuriya, who joined the Board of Central Finance Company PLC on 1st July 2011 was appointed the Chairman of the Company on 14 th July 2017. He is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants - UK, a Chartered Global Management Accountant, and a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants - UK. Mr. Jayasuriya is the immediate past Chairman of Finlays Colombo Limited and is a Trustee and a former Chairman of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon. He is also a Director of several other companies including Nations Trust Bank PLC, Lanka Aluminium Industries PLC and Acme Printing & Packaging PLC. He has also previously served as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the Mercantile Services Provident Society; Director of the Employees Trust Fund Board; Director of the Sri Lanka Accounting & Auditing Standards Monitoring Board and Director of the CIMA Sri Lanka Division Board.