Theagarajah appointed as Orient Finance Chairman

Orient Finance PLC, a member of the Janashakthi group, announced the appointment of veteran banker Rajendra Theagarajah as the company’s Non-Executive, Independent Director and Chairman of the board, with effect from April 28, 2022.

Taking the helm of the company post the untimely demise of former Chairman Anil Tittawella, Theagarajah will be playing a pivotal role in driving the next phase of Orient Finance’s growth.

“I am delighted to welcome Theagarajah aboard Orient Finance, as its Chairman. He brings with him a wealth of leadership experience in the financial services sector as well as a host of other industries,” said Orient Finance PLC Director Prakash Schaffter. 

“Building on the strong fundamentals of Orient Finance and the group, I look forward to seeing the newly-appointed chairman leading us to greater heights.” “Orient Finance is an enterprise that has continued to demonstrate great resilience and deliver outstanding value to its stakeholders for over 40 years, despite the turbulences in the operating environment. It is my privilege to lead this team in its quest to rise above all challenges and cement its position as a leading provider of unique financial solutions in the market,” said Theagarajah.

With this appointment, Orient Finance PLC’s board comprises of Rajendra Theagarajah (Chairman), K.M.M. Jabir (Chief Executive Officer), Prakash Schaffter, Minette Perera, Indrani Goonesekera, Sriyan Cooray, Darshana Ratnayake and Nalin Karunaratne.

Theagarajah is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK and Institute of Chartered Accountants, Sri Lanka and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Cranfield School of Business, UK.

With a highly successful 36-year career in banking in the United Kingdom and in Sri Lanka, including 16 years of service as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of three of Sri Lanka’s leading licensed private commercial banks, he has been instrumental in shaping the success of these organisations as well as the sector at large. He has also chaired the Sri Lanka Banks Association, Asian Banks Association and Sri Lanka Financial Services Bureau Ltd.

Theagarajah currently serves on the boards of Capital Holdings Limited, Siam City Sri Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd and Carson Cumberbatch PLC and has served on the boards of Lanka Clear, Colombo Stock Exchange and as former Chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Pathfinder Foundation, a leading think tank in Sri Lanka.