Sampath Bank pays tribute to founder Chairman
The centenary birth anniversary of Neville Ubesinghe Jayawardena
(1908-2002) - Economist, Senator, Banker, Entrepreneur, and Founder
Chairman of Sampath Bank is being commemorated with a series of events
organized by the N U Jayawardena Charitable Trust.
As a part of the commemoration, the Trust published the biography N.
U. Jayawardena - The First Five Decades written by Kumari Jayawardena
and Jennifer Moragoda. Sampath Bank has come forward with a sponsorship
for a re-print of this book, including a paperback edition which will be
reachable to a wider reading public. The new edition will be available
for purchase at leading bookstores in the near future.
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Executive Director / Chief Executive Officer of Sampath Bank
Harris Premaratne presenting the sponsorship cheque to Nimal
Jayawardena of The N U Jayawardena Charitable Trust. Neiliya
Perera (daughter of N. U. Jayawardena), Kumari Jayawardena,
Jennifer Moragoda, Menaka Balendra, and Dharmin Perera -
Trustees of the N U Jayawardena Charitable Trust and Executive
Director/ Chief Operations Officer, Aravinda Perera, Executive
Director/ Chief Financial Officer Ranjith Samaranayake and DGM
Operations and Commercial Credit, Nimal Tillekeratne all of
Sampath Bank are also in the picture. |
The book covers the first fifty years of life and times of this
financial legend who - rose from modest circumstances of being the son
of a rest house keeper in rural Tangalle, to become the first Sri Lankan
to be appointed Controller of Exchange and Governor of Central Bank.
Jayawardena played a key role in forming and shaping some of Sri
Lanka’s commercial and economic policy framework in the critical years
before, during and after the country’s Independence.
At an early stage of his career, he assisted in the work of the
Banking Commission of 1934, which resulted in the establishment of the
Bank of Ceylon and was a lead player in the establishment of the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka.
Later as founder Chairman of Sampath Bank, he was the trail blazer in
many ground breaking initiatives that revolutionized the banking
industry of the country. Under his stewardship, the Sampath Bank Initial
Public Offering (IPO) was the most successful at the time, making
Sampath Bank the most widely held public company with over 17,500
shareholders throughout the island.
His vision made Sampath Bank become a legend in electronically and
technologically driven banking.
Sampath Bank is honoured to take an active part in the commemoratory
events, which pays tribute to a financier par excellence who had done
yeoman service to the bank as its Founder Chairman as well as to the
country, throughout his long and eventful career.
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