Dimantha to retire from NDB; ex-HSBC Kelum Edirisinghe to succeed as CEO/Director

• Dimantha brings to an end illustrious and successful banking career of 34 years 
• He transformed NDB to become 4th largest listed bank winning multiple global and local awards
• NDB saw ten-fold increase in profit before tax to Rs. 9.5 billion for the nine months in FY23
• Kelum Edirisinghe joins NDB having completed 30 years with HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives as Chief Risk Officer 
• NDB has K.V. Vinoj as Deputy CEO who joined in 2005 and has over 30 years industry experience 
• Kelum second ex-HSBC employee to take the helm at NDB as CEO/Director

Dimantha Seneviratne

Kelum Edirisinghe

Veteran banker Dimantha Seneviratne is to retire as Director/CEO of NDB Bank by end January whilst ex-HSBC’s Kelum Edirisinghe is to succeed the former.

Dimantha will be ending a successful 34 year illustrious career in banking of which 10 years was at CEO level (seven years at NDB and prior to that at PABC for three years).

In both these banks, Dimantha was instrumental in transforming them to high performing entities. NDB was brought up to be the 4th largest listed bank and in the process won several Global and local accolades and most awarded corporate for two years in succession.

Dimantha is also leaving NDB on a high note with the bank posting a ten-fold increase in profit before tax to Rs. 9.5 billion for the nine months ended 30 September 2023 and a strong brand image and customer base. 

It was during Dimantha’s tenure as CEO/Director, Norway’s Norfund acquired 10% shareholding in NDB in 2021 under the Chairmanship of Eshana de Silva.

NDB in a filing to the Colombo Stock Exchange said the retirement of Dimantha is at the end of his fixed term contract on 31 January 2024 and intends to pursue a different focus in his post retirement phase.

NDB announced that Kelum Edirisinghe will be appointed as the CEO-Designate with effect from 22 January 2024 and will take over duties as the CEO and Executive Director with effect from 1 February 2024. This appointment will be subject to the receipt of relevant regulatory approvals.

NDB has K.V. Vinoj as the Deputy CEO, who joined the bank in 2005, as a Corporate Banking Relationship Manager and held progressive management positions in cross functional roles. He has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry.

Kelum will be joining National Development Bank PLC after having completed 30 years with HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives, where he held several key senior management positions, the last being as the Chief Risk Officer of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives where he also served as the Chair of the Risk Committee. His banking experience at HSBC covers a variety of leadership roles in enterprise-wide risk management, commercial banking, fund management, debt restructuring, financial analysis and branch banking.

Kelum holds a BSc from the University of Manchester in association with The Chartered Institute of Bankers and a Master of Business Administration from Edith Cowan University, Australia. He also holds a Diploma in Financial Management from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a certification on Treasury and Foreign Exchange Operations from Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Edirisinghe is a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee of the Centre for Banking Studies of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

For NDB, it will be the second ex-HSBC employee to take the helm as CEO/Director.

Dimantha Seneviratne too served 15 years with the HSBC Group, where he held key senior management positions including Chief Risk Officer Post of Sri Lanka and Maldives, Bangladesh, and Thailand, where he was responsible for business growth, strategy and governance in those respective geographies as a member of the Country Leadership Team. He commenced his banking career with Sampath Bank and has also served in Overseas Trust Bank, Colombo Branch and Saudi British Bank prior to joining HSBC.