Sugath Gunasekera bids farewell to Bank of Ceylon

Bank of Ceylon’s General Manager D.P.K. Gunasekera better known as Sugath Gunasekera to his peers in the banking industry is to retire from Bank of Ceylon upon reaching mandatory 
retirement age. 

The retirement brings the curtain down to a 41-year career with the nation’s premier bank. His term as the General Manager saw the bank grapple with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and overcome them registering a commendable performance. 

Prior to being appointed General Manager in 2020, he has held many key posts at Bank of Ceylon such as Senior Deputy General Manager (International , Treasury and Investment),  Deputy General Manager (Corporate and Offshore Banking) , Deputy General Manager (Retail Banking) and Assistant General Manager in charge of Chennai Branch (Country Manager).

Gunasekera who joined the country’s no. 1 bank as a cashier/clerk at the age of 19 gradually rose up the ranks to reach its top most position-the bank’s General Manager/CEO. His career is a clear example of the kind of opportunities that exist within the State-owned banking giant for career advancement. 

Bank of Ceylon offers many opportunities for its staff for professional development and gain wide exposure and experience across many areas of banking including exposure to foreign environments through its branches in the Maldives, India, Seychelles and the subsidiary in the UK.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Special Degree in Business Administration from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Post-Graduate Diploma in Business and Finance from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, MBA from University of Southern Queensland and Membership of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka.

His successor in the post of General Manager is  another Bank of Ceylon veteran banker with many years of experience under his belt, K.E. Dhanapala Sumanasiri currently is the Senior Deputy General Manager (Human Resources).