Beyond Digital: CIO Confluence 2026 set to shape conversation around intelligent banking era

As Sri Lanka’s banking and financial services sector enters a new phase of technology-led transformation, The CIO Confluence 2026 is set to bring together senior technology and business leaders for a timely conversation on what comes next. Scheduled for tomorrow (9) at Cinnamon Life City of Dreams – Lumina Ballroom, the forum will convene leaders from across banking and the wider technology ecosystem under the theme, “Beyond Digital: The Intelligent Banking Era.”

Organised by the Banks’ CIO Forum in association with The Events Workshop, CIO Confluence 2026 comes at a time when digital transformation is no longer simply about adopting new technologies. The next stage is about making technology more intelligent, connected and purposeful; using data, automation, artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity and modern infrastructure to create stronger customer experiences, more resilient operations and better business outcomes.

The theme, “Beyond Digital: The Intelligent Banking Era,” reflects this evolution. As financial institutions move from traditional digitalisation towards intelligent and data-driven operating models, technology leaders are increasingly required to look beyond individual platforms and systems and consider how technology can fundamentally influence decision-making, resilience, security and the customer journey. The Confluence aims to provide a space for these leaders to exchange perspectives, challenge conventional thinking and explore the strategic priorities shaping the future of banking.

At the heart of this year’s Confluence is a leadership committee comprising some of Sri Lanka’s most experienced banking and technology professionals. The committee brings together expertise from across the financial services sector, providing the strategic direction and industry perspective needed to ensure that the conversations remain relevant to the realities and priorities of the banking ecosystem.

The 2026 Confluence Committee comprises Bank of Ceylon Chief Information Officer and Banks' CIO Forum Chairman Buddhikka Seelanatha, Cargills Bank Chief Information Officer and Banks' CIO Forum Secretary and Conference Chair Indika Fernando, Habib Bank Head of IT and Banks' CIO Forum Treasurer Anuranga Handaragama, Deutsche Bank AG Vice President Prabath Wickremaratne, Sampath Bank Group Chief Information Officer Ajith Salgado, Union Bank Chief Technology Officer Nisala Kodippili, Pan Asia Bank Chief Information Officer Kanchana Devasurendra, Regional Development Bank Chief Information Officer Ajantha Ratnayake, Amana Bank Chief Information Officer A.C.M. Kiyasudeen, Citi Bank Country Head of Information Technology Romesh Wijesinghe, MCB Bank Head of IT Thaha Thowfeek, and Standard Chartered Bank Country Technology Manager Tharaka Mudugamuwa.

Together, the committee is responsible for shaping the direction, relevance and overall experience of the Confluence, ensuring that the program reflects the issues that matter most to technology and business leaders today. Their collective industry experience provides the event with a strong peer-led perspective, reinforcing its role as a platform for meaningful dialogue rather than simply another technology showcase.

Commenting on the significance of this year’s Confluence, Conference Chair, Banks’ CIO Forum Secretary and Cargills Bank Chief Information Officer Indika Fernando said: “The banking industry has moved well beyond the question of whether we need to go digital. The real question now is how intelligently we use technology to create value, strengthen resilience and make better decisions. ‘The Intelligent Banking Era’ is about bringing together data, people, technology and leadership in ways that translate innovation into meaningful business outcomes. CIO Confluence provides an important opportunity for leaders across our industry to step away from individual organisational priorities, share perspectives and collectively shape what the next chapter of technology-led banking should look like.”

The event will offer attendees an opportunity to engage with senior-level perspectives, peer-to-peer discussions, technology insights and strategic conversations spanning the wider banking and technology ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on individual technologies, the Confluence will explore the broader leadership questions surrounding intelligent transformation, how institutions can become more adaptive, secure and customer-centric while ensuring that technology investments deliver sustainable value.

The need for such dialogue is becoming increasingly significant as the boundaries between banking, technology, telecommunications, data and cybersecurity continue to converge. The future of financial services will depend not only on how quickly institutions adopt emerging technologies, but on how effectively they integrate them into resilient operating models and use them to make smarter decisions. In this environment, collaboration between technology leaders and the wider industry ecosystem becomes critical.

With “Beyond Digital: The Intelligent Banking Era” as its guiding theme, CIO Confluence 2026 seeks to move the conversation forward — from digital transformation as an end goal to intelligence as an organisational capability. It is a conversation about what technology can enable, but equally about the leadership, governance and strategic thinking required to use it effectively.

As the banking sector continues to evolve, the Confluence aims to provide a platform for the leaders shaping that evolution to connect, exchange ideas and look beyond the immediate horizon. On 9 September, the conversation will move from what has been digitised to what can become intelligent — and what that means for the future of banking.