ASIA CEO Community

<p>Mr. Kandegoda Gamage Leelananda Chief Executive Officer of Lanka Credit and Business Finance Limited, holds a Management Degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Diploma in HRM at Aquinas University College, Chartered Licentiate at Chartered Institute of Sri Lanka 1993 and Intermediate Banking &amp; Finance Diploma at IBSL He has successfully completed course on Private Enterprise Development at Harvard University - USA, Management in Finance at NTUC in Singapore University, Co-operative Banking System Course conducted in South Korea, in Netherland and in Canada, also a System Study at Banka Italia - Italy.</p><p>His pioneering journey began in 2001, by joining the Sanasa Development Bank PLC and having contributed for 14 years towards its growth he reached the 2nd Key Executive Post of the Bank “The Senior Deputy General Manager”.</p><p>In April 2016 he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Director of Lanka Credit Limited (LCBL) and in April 2018 Mr Leelananda was appointed to the Board of Directors of Lanka Credit and Business Finance Limited. (LCBF)</p><p>As Chief Executive Officer he was instrumental in reviving a sick licensed finance company the City Finance Corporation Limited through a merger with them, and changed its business name to Lanka Credit and Business Finance Limited (LCBF) inheriting the Finance license of the former. Within a short period of one year, applying his managerial expertise Mr. Leelananda converted the new business venture into a profitable enterprise. In the process he was able to compensate the depositors of the acquired sick finance company based on repayment program introduced by the regulator.</p><p>His vision was to establish a finance company based in the Southern Province backed by the investors in the said province which has been much successful in achieving. His vision was to make LCBF most popular financial provider in the country through the expansion of its Branch network with a view to developing products to meet the needs of the rural entrepreneurs.</p><p>Due to his dedicated visionary commitment to the company, LCBF was recognized as the Emerging Finance Company of the Year at the South Asian Awards 2019 and as the Fastest Growing Non-Bank Financial Institution in Sri Lanka 2021 by the Global Economics, Devonshire House Stanmore, London, UK. Furthermore, LCB Finance was Awarded the most committed Finance Company to the Rural Development 2022 and also Awarded the Sustainable Finance Institute of the Year 2022 with trophies.</p><p>Since inception of the company in the year 2018 he has developed a dedicated team through skills development believing that edification of the employees is all that remains over everything else. He believes that the job knowledge of employees strengthens the Corporate Management to move forward, coupled with the recruitment of professionally qualified and experienced personnel to function the key decision-making positions progressively.</p><p>The future activities of the company are focused, in achieving the goals set out in an ambitious five-year Business Development Plan initiated by him and monitored by him.</p><p>He enhanced the digital transaction capabilities of the company through the acquisition of an IT software package to cater to ever expanding business activities of the company.</p><p>Preparing the company to meet the regulatory requirements and built a prudent capital base he initiated the process to enter the Colombo Stock Exchange and Initial Public Offer was successful ending being oversubscribed.</p><p>Furthermore, LCB is amalgamating with long-standing Lanka Cooperative Leasing Company Ltd. a pioneering leasing company in the Co-operative sector. The respective Chairmen have taken the first step in November 2022 by signing the Indicative Non-Binging Term Sheet in respect of the amalgamation.</p>