SLID on contemporary views on corporate governance

The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), as the premier forum catering to the needs of directors and their equivalents in both the private and the public sector, has through popular demand launched yet another of its efforts to educate the Sri Lankan directors on initiatives of corporate governance.

Having conducted a very successful six modular programme on corporate stewardship and boardroom governance, it has structured a somewhat different programme flavoured with more contemporary views titled ‘Contemporary Views on Corporate Stewardship and Boardroom Governance’.

The programme will be held at the Ivy Room of the Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

This is a part of SLID’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme to help directors and other seniors build on their abilities to meet the many complex obligations and also to strengthen corporate governance practices as applicable to boards of directors.

Updating their legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities and giving them an opportunity to interact with the highest level of experts and practitioners in the field of business and regulations and exchange ideas on areas of concern.

The high-powered Group Finance Director of John Keells Holdings PLC Ronnie Peiris will lead the first of the six modular series with a very competent panel, comprising of Trevine Jayasekera, Group Finance Director, Brandix Lanka Ltd.; Sharmini Ratwatte, Non Executive Director, MAS Investments; Kavan Ratnayake, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC; and Harsha Amarasekera, Lawyer/Non Executive Director, CIC PLC. They will be sharing their views on ‘A Vibrant Board of Directors’ on 21st October.

The second module on ‘An Effective Audit and Risk Committee’ on 11 November will be led by  Deshmanya Deva Rodrigo, former Territory Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Sri Lanka and former Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, supported by an elite panel with Shirani Jayasekera, Head of Group Internal Audit, Carsons Cumberbatch PLC; Marina Tharmaratnam, former CEO, Union Assurance PLC; Manil Jayasinghe, Partner, Ernest & Young; Sarath Ganegoda, Director, Group Finance, Hayleys PLC; and Arjuna Gunaratne, CEO/Director, CF Venture Management.

‘An Efficient Nomination and Remuneration Committee’ scheduled for 13 January 2011 will be headed by the successful young banker, CEO/MD of HNB PLC Rajendra Theagarajah and his competent panellists will be Dr. Anura Ekanayake, Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Arjuna Herath, Partner, Ernest & Young; Preethi Jayawardena, Managing Director/CEO, Chemanex PLC; and Sithie Tiruchelvam, Senior Associate, Tiruchelvam Associates.

The fourth module in this series on ‘Critical Issues for the Board of Directors’ will have a well-recognised and experienced panel of professionals; Samantha Ranatunga, Managing Director/CEO, CIC PLC; Suren Rajakarier, Partner, Audit Services, KPMG; Dilani Alagaratnam, President, Group HR, Legal & Secretarial, John Keells Holdings PLC and Marise Decker Managing Director, Astron Ltd.

A power-packed panel led by none other than erudite banker Mahendra Amarasuriya Chairman, Commercial Bank of Sri Lanka, well supported by Chrishantha Perera, former Chairman, Forbes and Walker; Asoka Peiris, CEO, Singer PLC; Kapila Jayawardena, Managing Director, LOLC PLC; and Sujeewa Mudalige, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers will discuss various aspects of the fifth module on ‘Contemporary Board Issues’ on 17 March.

The last module of the series will be on 22 April, ‘Governance Issues of Specific Organisations’. The eminent legal expert Aritha Wickremanayake, Precedent Partner, Nithya Partners will lead his panel of distinguished senior corporate directors with Prema Cooray, MD/CEO, CCC Solutions (Pvt) Ltd; Lakshman Watawala, Non Exec Director, Richard Peiris PLC; Krishan Balendra, Head of Corporate Finance & Strategy, John Keells Holdings PLC and Prasanna Jayawardena, Lawyer, Non Executive Director, DFCC Bank.

SLID believes, that due to the inseparable link between effective corporate governance and economic development, the governance of companies should loom large in the order of priorities of the Sri Lankan corporate sector. Creating an ethical organisation is the responsibility of each individual corporate board.