AIA Sri Lanka has announced the appointment of Upul Wijesinghe as an Executive Director of the Board of Directors (BOD) with effect from 30th January 2023 subject to the approval of the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. Upul is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Distribution Officer of AIA Sri Lanka. He is a highly respected insurance professional in the industry with over 30 years of experience.
Upul started his journey with the Company as a Graduate Management Trainee and climbed up the corporate ladder through his career with the Company. He has gained extensive exposure in general management, all aspects of life and general insurance including sales, technical covering also underwriting, reinsurance and multiple distribution channels at various levels and also received both local and international training opportunities with the Company. He has previously held the statutory positions of Specified Officer and the Principal Officer of the Company as well.
Upul is an Associate Member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of UK and a Chartered Insurer. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Colombo and a Post Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Science from Uva Wellassa University.
Upul was the President of the Sri Lanka Insurance Institute (SLII) from 2001 to 2003. He was instrumental in establishing SLII’s Insurance Agency qualification examination for Sri Lanka and the National Insurance Congress. In an ultimate honour, he was inducted to the Hall of Fame of SLII in 2015.
Upul was instrumental in setting up AIA’s highly successful life agency sales force and its best-in-class operational model island wide with over 100 branches, over 4000 agents and 350 Agency leaders. He has received many accolades locally and internationally including AIA Group’s ‘Best Growth CAO Award 2021’ and ‘2H Rebound CAO Challenge Category 2020’. This new appointment to the AIA Sri Lanka’s BOD is yet another outstanding milestone in Upul’s professional journey.
Tan Hak Leh, Chairman of AIA Sri Lanka, welcoming Upul to the Board noted that Upul will be adding much value to the Board with his vast experience in the local insurance industry and his leadership contribution in steering the business forwards in a challenging environment. He further stated that this appointment is another apt demonstration of AIA Group’s trust in and appreciation of the local talent in Sri Lanka.
Chathuri Munaweera, CEO / Executive Director of AIA Sri Lanka congratulating the appointment, added that the appointment of Upul Wijesinghe to the Board of Directors is a testament of his commitment, dedication, and capacity to support the Company in the long term, in pursuing its ambitious aspirations and providing much needed insurance protection to Sri Lankans.