In a significant leadership development, Lasitha Wimalaratne has been appointed as Executive Director of HNB Assurance PLC, while Sithumina Jayasundara has been appointed as Executive Director of HNB General Insurance Limited.
Both executives currently serve as Chief Executive Officers of their respective companies and bring decades of industry expertise to their new board roles.
Announcing the appointments, Stuart Chapman, Chairman of HNB Assurance and HNB General Insurance, said:
“I extend my warmest congratulations to Lasitha and Sithumina. Their visionary leadership has been instrumental in delivering consistent growth and resilience across our insurance businesses. Their elevation to the Boards will further strengthen our strategic focus and drive long-term shareholder value.”
Lasitha Wimalaratne: Steering Life Insurance with Vision
With over 27 years of industry experience, including seven years with global insurers Aviva and AIA, Lasitha Wimalaratne is a veteran in the life insurance sector. Prior to joining HNB Assurance in 2019, he served as General Manager – Life Operations at Softlogic Life Insurance. He was later appointed as Chief Operating Officer and Principal Officer before taking the reins as CEO.
Wimalaratne holds an MBA from the University of Wales, UK, and a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Sunderland. A Chartered Insurer and Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII, UK), he also holds fellowships from the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
He currently serves as President of the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL) and previously led the Sri Lanka Insurance Institute from 2019 to 2021. He was also the Founder Secretary General of the Chartered Insurance Professionals.
Sithumina Jayasundara: A Driving Force in General Insurance
Bringing over 27 years of experience in Sri Lanka’s non-life insurance sector, Sithumina Jayasundara has held key leadership roles at firms such as Eagle Insurance, Asian Alliance, MBSL, and Janashakthi. He joined HNB General Insurance in 2014 and quickly rose through the ranks serving as Chief Technical Officer, COO, Principal Officer, and now CEO.
Jayasundara holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, and is a Chartered Insurer, as well as the Sri Lanka award winner of the Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII – UK). He also holds a Senior Associateship with ANZIIF.
A respected industry contributor, he is a Past President of the Sri Lanka Insurance Institute, a founding Council Member of the Association of Chartered Insurance Professionals, and a member of the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka. He also currently serves on the Expert Advisory Committee for the Insur Innovator Connect Global Series Asia 2025.
