People’s Leasing & Finance PLC (PLC) has recently announced the appointment of two veterans from financial backgrounds as Senior Deputy General Managers. Udesh Gunawardena was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer whilst Laksanda Gunawardena was appointed as Head of Branch Network of PLC, effective from 31st October 2022.
Udesh Gunawardena possesses over 25 years of experience in finance with particular emphasis on accounting, auditing, financial management, and treasury operations. He has held senior positions in the finance industry, demonstrating his abilities as a leader. He has played a key role at the Lankan Alliance Finance Limited Bangladesh which is a subsidiary of PLC on a secondment basis.
Udesh also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Lankan Alliance Finance Limited Bangladesh. He is an Associate Member of CA Sri Lanka and an Associate Member of Certified Management Accountants (Sri Lanka). He possesses a Diploma in Treasury, Investments and Risk Management (IBSL). He has also been awarded the World Prize Winner of the Australian Computer Society.
Laksanda Gunawardena has over 27 years of experience in corporate and SME financing. He is versatile in the areas of Credit, Marketing, Portfolio Management, Branch development, and Operations. He has functioned as the Head of Corporate Leasing for 10 years and Head of Marketing for 03 years with his leadership qualities. He has a track record of success in challenging leadership roles, achieving transformational change, and sustainable business growth.
Laksanda serves as a of Director of People’s Micro Commerce Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of People’s Leasing & Finance PLC.
He possesses an MBA from University of Wales and is a certified management accountant of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia and holds an MSc in Strategic Marketing from Asia e University. He is qualified for CMA (Australia) and CPM (Asia). Further, he is an Associate Member of the Institute of Credit Management Sri Lanka and holds a Diploma in Credit Management from the Sri Lanka Institute of Credit Management. Laksanda is a certified member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing and a member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Managers of Sri Lanka.
People’s Leasing & Finance PLC is a leading Non-Bank Financial Institution in Sri Lanka and a subsidiary of People’s Bank, one of the largest State-owned banks in the country. Commencing operations in 1996 as a specialized leasing company, People’s Leasing was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2011. People’s Leasing has grown to become a diversified non-banking financial powerhouse with six subsidiaries in allied areas of specialization including a venture overseas in Bangladesh.
