Mr. Suren Swaminathan, Chairman of the Board
Suren Swaminathan is a veteran insurance professional with his own insurance consultancy company, Suren Agency LLC. Being A qualified past hotelier and marketing professional has helped him guide budding entrepreneurs. As a strong believer of diversity and inclusion, he initiated the SLBC Ladies Wing among other initiatives during previous tenure as Chairman of SLBC. He received the prestigious Global Sri Lankan of the Year award in 2022 by the Women in Management (WIM) Top 50 Global Awards in Dubai, in recognition of his contributions to the business community and humanitarian work for his fellow countrymen. He is a proud alumnus of St. Xavier’s College, Nuwara Eliya.
Mr. Shihan Sheriff - Vice Chairman
Shihan Sheriff is an accomplished Chief Financial Officer at Esanjo and Vice President of Professional Services at Nomod, a Y Combinator-backed global business based in Dubai, U.A.E.
Holding two MBA degrees and currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, he is a member of several esteemed global accounting bodies: CIMA (UK), CPA (Australia), CGMA (USA), and UAECA (UAE).
With 18+ years of finance and accounting experience, including 11 years as a CFO/VP, he excels in diverse industries. Shihan is also the founder of MoneyMasterHQ.com.
Beyond work, Shihan loves acquiring new skills and helping others learn finance and accounting, striving to improve the world.
His passions include spending time with family and watching cricket, tennis, and football.
He is a multiple-time Amazon best-selling author. More recently, he was awarded the Bronze Medal at the IPPY – International Independent Publisher Awards for 2024 for his book “Accounting Fundamentals: A Non-Finance Manager’s Guide to Finance and Accounting. He is working on hosting his inaugural Business Growth and Scale Summit in July this year as well.
Visit Shihan Sheriff’s business website to stay updated and unlock loads of valuable resources: MoneyMasterHQ.com
Ms. Lakna Amarasiri Godahena, Director – Secretary to the Board
Lakna Amarasiri Godahena has over 23 years of experience in diverse areas within Human Capital (HC) management, primarily in strategic human capital, talent, and rewards management, of which 15 years is working with key organizations within the UAE.
She currently works as a Principal at KornFerry Middle East and prior to moving to the UAE in 2008, Lakna was human capital leader at MAS Holdings, Sri Lanka, leading the design and implementation of core HC management frameworks, policies and processes and driving the development and sustenance of a performance management culture in the organizations.
Lakna’s passion is in areas of youth development and sustainable tourism.
She contributes to her family run boutique hotels back in Sri Lanka as a Director to support the continued development and growth.
Ms. Hashini Kannangara - Director Finance and Vice Chairperson Ladies Wing
Hashini Kannangara first moved to the UAE in 1994 and is a graduate of the University of Warwick, UK with a BSc (Hons) in Economics. She is currently the General Manager of freight forwarding, travel and trading companies in the UAE.
Hashini was the immediate past Director Board Secretary. Representing the young generation and as the first female Board Director she brought a lot of new ideas to the table. Recognising her skills as one of the most promising young people she was requested to take over the position of Finance as well as spear head the growth of the Ladies wing.
Mr. Rusan Fyroze, Director of Business Development and Investment
Rusan is a senior thought leader with 30 years of banking and financial services experience in Retail, SME, Corporate, Wealth Management and Insurance Management. Has been a successful business leader, entrepreneur and has managed P&L in Mid-size Corporations.
People person with quick decision-making and is a recipient of several awards for excellence in financial planning, product development, business leadership and people management.
Rusan has made significant contributions in business transformation and profitability across several key positions. He creates an environment of profitability, coupled with long-term benefits for customers and team members.
Mr. Tariq Qureshi, Director – External Relations
Tariq Qureshi who has been heading a large Anglo-American Company for 25 years in Dubai has been living in the UAE for over 4 decades. The Company, with a network of outlets around the world, was amongst the largest Steel Stockholders supplying steel for the Offshore Oil & Gas and Marine Industry.
For the past 15 years, he now provides an Independent Consultancy Service for an American company specialized in supplies of structural products for Offshore Rigs and Wind-Carrier Installation Vessels.
Tariq, who commenced his primary education at St Thomas College Mount Lavinia Sri Lanka, graduated in Business studies from the University of Karachi in Pakistan, before embarking into his career in the UAE.
Mr. Lokitha Karavita, Director – Memberships
Lokitha Karavita is a Chartered Quantity surveyor graduated from University of Salford, Manchester, UK with MSc in Project Management in Construction and currently employed as Senior Contracts Engineer at Abu Dhabi Energy (TRANSCO). He is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) in the faculty of Built Environment and Spatial Sciences at Southern Campus in Sri Lanka. In addition, he is a Councillor and Steering Committee Member of AIQS International Chapter UAE. Chairman / Accessor of APC panel of AIQS & RICS UAE.
He is a keen agronomist and partner of Petro Lanka Foods PVT Ltd in Sri Lanka and Petro Lanka Food & Spices LLC in UAE. Lokitha has been in overseas over 3 decades and predominantly in Middle East and Australia. Lokitha is an alumnus of Isipathana College Colombo 5 and currently settled in Abu Dhabi for last 10 years.
Ms. Kiru Kishokumar, Director – Events and Marketing
Holistic Health Practitioner Pharmacologist Educator & International Speaker Founder| Chief Wellness Officer of Kiru’s Health & Wellness FZE Women Top50 Global Award Winner 2022 She Awards Global Winner 2023 Kiru’s experience spans from biomedical research to retail and to owning and managing a business of her own. She has coached and empowered many clients both men and women across the globe both online and in-person to combine their intellect and their intuition to improve their health mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Mr. Kapila Karunaratne, Director – Public Relations
Kapila Karunaratne is a Senior Banker (AIB) for over 40 years in Sri Lanka & UAE, A Chartered Marketer (ACIM). Specialties being Commercial, Financial Sector – B2B Connectivity, Business Development. He is a Life Member of Institute of Bankers, Life Member of Association of Professional Bankers (APB) Sri Lanka, Vice President of the Sri Lankan Bankers Association UAE (SLBA), Alumnus of IIM Ahamedabad, India. He is also a Member, British Business Group, Abu Dhabi, Life Member of Sri Lanka China Society, Vice President – Lions Clubs International Dubai, Patron of St Anthony’s College Kandy Old Boys Association – UAE, Member of Wild Life & Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka ( WNPS), Director Public Relations – Sri Lankan Business Council Dubai & Northern Emirates since 2022.