SLID CXO Forum 2025 tackles banking innovation, technology and risk in partnership with Huawei

Thursday, 17 July 2025 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), in collaboration with Huawei Sri Lanka, hosted its CXO Forum 2025 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, bringing together over 100 banking and finance leaders to explore the theme: “Can Banks De-Risk and Innovate in This Hyper-Competitive Age with Technology?”

SLID CEO Anitra Perera opened the forum by highlighting the importance of strategic collaboration in the face of rapid transformation.

“This forum also reflects the strategic expansion of our corporate partnership base, most notably the onboarding of Huawei Sri Lanka as a new sponsor — a timely and valued addition to our growing network. We are delighted to welcome Huawei as our Corporate Platinum Partner, and sincerely thank them for also being the Event Partner for this forum,” she noted.

Huawei Sri Lanka CEO Zhang Jinze (Zeh), emphasised the growing urgency of digital transformation for financial institutions. “Digital transformation is no longer optional — it is foundational to competitive survival,” he remarked.

The keynote session featured two distinguished speakers. Central Bank Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe as the Chief Guest, outlined key regulatory priorities aimed at enabling sustainable digital innovation in the financial sector. Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise Finance Chief Digital Officer Huck Siang LIM, shared strategic insights on leveraging emerging technologies — such as AI, big data, and cloud computing — to drive innovation while effectively mitigating risk.

The panel discussion, moderated by E&Y Principal Shanaka De Silva brought together an expert lineup of industry leaders: Huawie Sri Lanka CEO Zhang Jinze (Zeh), Union Bank of Colombo CEO Dilshan Rodrigo, LOLC Finance PLC Chairman Conrad Dias and Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise Finance Chief Digital Officer Huck Siang LIM. The discussion explored actionable strategies for innovation, risk governance, embedded finance, and customer-centric transformation in a competitive and regulated environment.

The forum marked the first event in SLID’s 25th Anniversary calendar, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening board leadership and governance in Sri Lanka’s evolving financial landscape. SLID will continue to build on this momentum through future forums and focused industry engagements.

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