Nations Trust Bank marks Women’s Day with an interactive forum

From left: Nations Trust Bank Senior Manager Panadura Branch Tilani Mendis, Director/Chief Executive Officer Renuka Fernando, Executive Vice President & Group Company Secretary (Moderator) Theja De Silva, Senior Vice President Marketing Shaan Wickremasinghe, Vice President Management Reporting & Planning Kushlani Allis, and Executive Vice President Human Resources Ramanika Unamboowe 

The life of the successful modern woman is often a delicate balancing act between work and home. Understanding this dynamic in detail and learning from the experiences of others can help young women looking to build a career for themselves. In this light and to mark Women’s Day, Nations Trust Bank recently organised a forum for young career professionals within its ranks to engage with successful senior women leaders, of which the bank has many.

Five women speakers delivered inspiring talks about their own journeys to success and this was followed by an active Q & A session, with young women who are building careers at Nations Trust Bank engaging with the speakers. Many important questions received insightful answers and pressing issues were discussed openly and within a framework of respect and security. 

The speakers, all in top ranking positions within the bank, have successfully navigated the delicate balancing act of building a successful career, whilst maintaining a fulfilling home and private life. 

Director/Chief Executive Officer Renuka Fernando, Executive Vice President – Human Resources Ramanika Unamboowe, Senior Vice President – Marketing Shaan Wickremasinghe and Vice President – Management Reporting and Planning Kushlani Allis spoke about ‘Building Confidence in Yourself as a Woman’, ‘How to Meet the Challenge of Continuously Building Skills and Knowledge’, ‘What Women Leaders Bring to the Table Vis a Vis Men’, ‘Do We Need to Make Personal Choices  along the way as Women’ and ‘Balancing Home & Work as a Young Mother’, respectively.

Speaking about the event, Wickremasinghe said: “At Nations Trust we seek to create an environment conducive to career building for everyone. Part of this effort is addressing issues that are particular to women and what better time to provide a platform for this discussion than Women’s Day. Women around the world are building successful, fulfilling lives both at work and at home and we want to provide our women with a chance to do that as well. The only way forward is to communicate and discuss important matters and provide guidance, inspiration and confidence building. Everyone must have a chance at their dreams and this is what we strive to give our customers, so why not members of our own Nations Family!”

Nations Trust Bank conducts numerous internal events to develop their staff and this forum was one such initiative. What set it apart was its focus on women’s concerns and the fact that it provided a platform for young women to speak about matters that are important to them and that often remain unaddressed. 

The event was held on 8 March at the Hive, Nations Trust Bank’s nerve centre. It was followed by refreshments and fellowship. The moderator for the evening was Theja De Silva – Executive Vice President and Group Company Secretary of Nations Trust Bank.