The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) recently paid tribute to three distinguished Chartered Accountants for their remarkable contributions to the corporate, society and country spanning many decades.
At a gala ceremony held at Monarch Imperial on Wednesday, CA Sri Lanka bestowed the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on veteran Chartered Accountant Mr. Rajan Asirwatham, while Mr. Richard Ebell and Mr. Veluppillai Kanagasabapathy were also inducted to the CA Sri Lanka Hall of Fame for the year 2023 in recognition of their extraordinary contributions.
Mr. Asirwatham embarked on his professional journey with Ford Rhodes Thornton and Company in 1961, continued his tenure at Ford Rhodes Thornton and Company as a qualified assistant, and was admitted to partnership in 1972, where he concurrently held the roles of Tax Partner and Staff Partner (HR Director) at the firm, maintaining these positions until his retirement in 2008. Additionally, he also lent his expertise to several commissions of the Government of Sri Lanka, including the Presidential Commission on Taxation and the Presidential Commission on Salaries and Cadres. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, he received several prestigious awards and was also inducted into the Global Accounting Hall of Fame by the Australian Certified Management Accountants. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Asirwatham demonstrated a profound commitment to CA Sri Lanka, assumed the role of Chairman of the Finance and Administration Committee, and contributed to numerous other committees. Furthermore, he also chaired the inaugural Tax Faculty of CA Sri Lanka and currently serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Mr. Ebell, a highly respected figure in the accounting profession, has made a significant impact on the Sri Lankan accounting landscape. His remarkable career, which began in 1977 when he became a member of CA Sri Lanka, includes a notable 32-year tenure as Finance Director at Hayleys PLC. He has been a champion of good corporate governance and financial oversight, serving as an independent director and chairman of audit committees for multiple listed and regulated entities. Mr. Ebell’s contributions to CA Sri Lanka have been substantial, including his role as the chair of the Technical Committee of the National Conference and his significant contributions to corporate governance codes and SME governance guidelines. His unwavering commitment to ethical practices and good governance in the corporate world has made a lasting impact on the profession.
Mr. Kanagasabapathy, a Fellow of CA Sri Lanka, has made an indelible impact on both the accounting profession and the public sector in Sri Lanka. Holding a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, he held senior positions in the Ministry of Finance and Planning and retired as the Director General of Public Enterprises. He held positions as Board Member and Chairman of Audit Committees for Bank of Ceylon and Peoples Bank and also served as director, executive director, and advisor to Hotel Developers Lanka PLC, the parent company of Hilton Colombo. Currently, he is a member of the Governing Council at the University of Jaffna. Mr. Kanagasabapathy’s contributions to CA Sri Lanka are notable through his pivotal role in establishing the Association of Public Finance Accountants of Sri Lanka (APFASL) and his ongoing presidency of the association. He has been a strong advocate for capacity-building programmes on public sector accounting standards and currently serves as the Chairman of the Public Sector Accounting Standards Committee of CA Sri Lanka.