Nihal Jayawardene appointed as HNB Chairman; he takes over after Chairperson Aruni Goonetilleke resigns

Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) yesterday announced the resignation of its Chairperson Aruni Goonetilleke and the subsequent appointment of Nihal Jayawardene PC as its new Chairman.

According to a stock market disclosure filed by HNB, at a special board meeting held yesterday, Goonetilleke tendered her resignation from the board of directors of HNB, with effect from June 9, 2023.

The disclosure said the HNB board accepted her resignation. Goonetilleke assumed duties as HNB Chairperson in September 2021.

Following her resignation, the board decided to appoint Non-Executive/Non-Independent Director Nihal Jayawardene PC as the new Chairman of HNB, with effect from June 9, 2023.

Jayawardene joined the Bar in 1983. He has his career experience as an officer of the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka in excess of 20 years, Senior Lecturer of Sri Lanka Law College and Legal Consultant and Board Member in numerous institutions. He is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. Jayawardene has actively contributed to many law reforms initiatives taken place in Sri Lanka in the field of Civil Aviation, Company Law and has extensive experience in public enterprises reforms programmes carried out in the areas of insurance, telecommunication, aviation, port and shipping and plantation sectors. 

In recognition of immense contribution made to the legal profession as an eminent senior counsel in Corporate, Commercial, Aviation and Public Law, he was appointed as a President’s Counsel in the year 2012.  Jayawardene also played a leading role in the process of drafting the Colombo Port City Economic Commissions Act. Presently involved in drafting Electricity Sector Reform Laws and Chairman of a committee appointed to review the Bills of Exchange Ordinance and related banking laws by the Minister of Justice.  He is presently Chairman of the Company Law Advisory Commission, a member of the Board of Governors in the Asian Institute of Business and Science (AIBS) and in-house Counsel of Capital City Law. He is also a Member of the Intellectual Property Law Advisory Commission. 

HNB also announced the appointment of Non-Executive/Independent Director Parakrama Devaka Cooray as a Senior Independent Director of the board of HNB, with immediate effect.