Chandana Guniyangoda Assumes Duties as the New Chairman of People’s Bank

Chandana Guniyangoda officially assumed duties as the new Chairman of People’s Bank on August 25, 2026, at a ceremony held at the bank’s Head Office.

The occasion was attended by former People’s Bank Chairman Prof. Narada Fernando, members of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer/General Manager and members of the bank’s corporate management.

Guniyangoda’s appointment marks a significant development in Sri Lanka’s state-owned banking sector. He becomes the first chairman of a state-owned licensed commercial bank to be appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director under the strengthened corporate governance framework introduced as part of Sri Lanka’s IMF-supported reform programme.

The framework, developed through reforms undertaken in consultation with the IMF and World Bank and reinforced by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s Banking Act Directions No. 05 of 2024 on Corporate Governance for Licensed Banks, places greater emphasis on director independence and stronger oversight at board level.

His appointment is expected to further strengthen governance and public confidence in People’s Bank while supporting the bank’s commitment to serving its customers, stakeholders and the wider economy.

A finance professional with more than 28 years of experience, including 19 years in commercial banking, Guniyangoda has extensive expertise in finance, strategic planning, business transformation, process re-engineering, cost optimisation, human resource management, asset and liability management, risk management and regulatory reporting.

He is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka. His academic qualifications include an MBA in Banking and Finance from the Postgraduate Institute of Management at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, an MA in Financial Economics from the University of Colombo and a BSc in Business Administration (Special) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He also holds an Advanced Certificate in Banking and Finance from the Institute of Bankers and IFS, London.

Guniyangoda has held several senior positions in the banking and corporate sectors, including Assistant Vice President – Finance, Strategic Planning and Business Support at NDB Bank PLC and Director of Development Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. He previously served at Sampath Bank PLC as an ALCO Officer and Senior Executive – Finance and Planning, following the beginning of his career as a trainee graduate at Aitken Spence PLC.

More recently, he provided specialist expertise in finance and administration during the restructuring of institutional frameworks in the agriculture and plantation sectors under the Agriculture Modernization Project implemented by the World Bank and Ministry of Agriculture.

He currently serves as Independent Chairman of People’s Insurance PLC, Group Chief Financial Officer of MG Group of Companies, a Board Member of New Vithanakande Tea Factory (Pvt.) Ltd. and Non-Executive Chairman of CCPI Management Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. He is also an Honorary Member of the Board of Management of the CA Sri Lanka SAB Campus.

With his extensive background in banking, finance, governance and strategic management, Guniyangoda takes over the chairmanship as People’s Bank continues its role in supporting Sri Lanka’s economic development and serving millions of customers across the country.