Board of Directors of HDFC Bank » Home » About Us » Board of Directors of HDFC Bank   tr> Mrs. R. M. R. W. Manchanayake (Chairperson / Non-executive / Independent Director) Mrs. R. M. R. W. Manchanayake was appointed as a Director and the Chairperson of the HDFC Bank with effect from 02nd January 2020. Mrs. Wasanthi Manchanayake is an Attorney – At ‐ Law and she was attached to Department of Inland Revenue since 1984 as an Assessor and has been promoted to Commissioner General of Inland Revenue in 2014. Later she worked as a Senior Tax Policy Consultant at the Ministry of Finance from 2015 to 2019. During her service period in Inland Revenue Department she has actively and successfully devoted her service contributing for the implementation of the RAMIS project (Automation project) as the project director. She also has attended several workshops and training programs overseas on E-Governance practice and innovation, at the Singapore E-Government Leadership Center, Tax fraud auditing and collection techniques in California USA, Negotiation of Tax Treaties in Malaysia, Training programs in Tax Administration in Nagpur and Delhi, OECD Transfer Pricing in Paris and Practical training on Best Practices in Public Service in Thailand. Mrs. Wasanthi Manchanayak is a past Pupil of Gampaha Bandaranayake Vidyalaya and obtained her degree in Economics specially in Industrial Management. Further she has obtained Diploma in foreign languages and Diploma in English from Sri Lanka Technical College. While qualifying at Sri Lanka Law College she has obtained a Diploma in Advanced Professional English from the University of Colombo. Later on Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration awarded her the Diploma in Information Technology, and in 2009 she was awarded the Degree of Master of Public Management. Mrs. R.A. Chulananda ( Non–Executive / Independent Director ) Mrs. R.A. Chulananda was appointed as a Board Member of the HDFC Bank in August 2016. Mrs. Chulananda (Special Grade SLAS Officer) is presently working as the Additional Secretary (Housing and Development) in the Ministry of Housing and Construction. She started her career as an Assistant Secretary at the Colombo Municipal Council, in 1991. Thereafter she held many posts as an Assistant Divisional Secretary of the Divisional Secretariats Kahawaththa and Imbulpe, Assistant District Secretary of District Secretariat Anuradhapura, Divisional Secretary of the Divisional Secretariats Soranathota and Thimbirigasyaya, and the Director of the Women’s Bureau of Sri Lanka of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka and a Master of Public Administration from the Post Graduate Institute of Management of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. DR. K. D. Gunawardana(Non- Executive, Independent Director) Prof. Dr. Kennedy D. Gunawardana is Professor of Accounting Information Systems at the Department of Accounting, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. In addition to being the professor of Accounting in his Department, he is the Chairman of the Board of studies and Coordinator of the PhD in Management Program of Management, Faculty of Management studies and Commerce in the same University. He teaches Cost and Management Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Artificial Neural Networks for Accounting and Research Methodology in Accounting and Finance for the undergraduates and Postgraduates students. Prof. Gunawardana worked in several public sector and private sector organization as Chairman and presently, he is Board member of the Post Graduate Institute of Sri Jayewardenepura (PIM) and member of the Syndicate Committee of Institute of Human Resource Advancement, University of Colombo (IHRS). Prof. Gunawardana is the first Sri Lankan who made link with Artificial Intelligence to the Field of Accounting and Finance for Corporate sector predictions, he has developed new course unit called, artificial neural network for accounting and it is very popular course among the University students today. Prof. Gunawardana is working as a Visiting Faculty member of the University of Moratuwa, University of Kalaniya and University of Colombo in their MBA programme in the area of Accounting, Management Information Systems and Research Methodology. With over 100 research articles published in refereed conferences proceedings, numerous other papers and monographs, 6 text books in English and 3 books in Sinhala, 2 chapters of the International books come under his credentials. Prof. Gunawardana ranks in the top number one in teaching, training and research in the field of Academia. At the moment he is serving as senior professor of Accounting Information Systems in University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. DR. S. NEAVIS MORAIS(Non- Executive, Independent Director) Dr. Neavis Morais, is a Development Economist with wide international exposure. He completed his Ph.D at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand through an ADB Award, and the Master’s Degree in Economics at the University of Colombo. Currently he serves at the Open University of Sri Lanka as the Head of the Department of Social Studies of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He has extensive experience in teaching, research, academic administration and national development frontiers and remains actively involved in policy development work of the United Nations System, the private sector, the Non- governmental organizations both local and international and the public sector. Working in the broad frontier of post war economic transformation, his inputs have been positively acclaimed by professional teams involved in the Human Development Reports of the United Nations Development Program since 2014. He has also taken a keen interest in practical measures that can be taken in empowering people through Micro Finance Programs and was instrumental in developing a major university program in collaboration with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in empowering bank officers in the Regional level development banking sector. Among the other Programs he has engineered, the Micro Finance Research Program together with the University of Lund in Sweden is noteworthy. He has also internationally represented issues relating to Sri Lankan Youth development training in global conferences in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Uganda and in other countries. Dr. Morais has experience in working for conflict affected people particularly in projects aimed at uplifting their livelihoods. This enables him to relate to the socio-economic burdens of the marginalized countrywide not only from a scholarly point of view but from the standpoint of someone who experienced war torn conditions. He is a firm believer in holistic development of mankind with a proper balance between physical and material development and spiritual and cultural development. Mr. P. A. S. Athula Kumara(Non- Executive, Independent Director) Mr. P A S Athula Kumara was appointed as a Director of the HDFC Bank with effect from 11th March 2020. Mr. Athula Kumara is an old boy of Bandaranayaka College, Gampaha and he is a Bsc Management (Public Admin.) (Special) degree holder from the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura in 1992. He obtain his Masters degree in Business Studies in University of Colombo in 2015. Athula Kumara is a Class I Officer of Sri Lanka Accounts’ Service. And also he is a member of Chartered Public Accountant in The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. Having join the Public Service in 1991 as an Audit Examiner in Auditor General’s Department. He started his carrier as an Accountant in Lankaputhra Divisional Secretariat of Polonnaruwa District and well as Thalawa Divisional Secretariat of Anuradhapura from 1992 – 1997. During the period of 1997 – 2005, served as an Accountant in Director’s Office of Agriculture in the North Central Province and until 2007 he worked in Ministry of Mahaweli, Irrigation, Rajarata Development and Agriculture in Battaramulla. Mr. Athula Kumara joined in Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance in 2007 and he holds several positions in Department of Public Enterprises. Currently he is working as Director General in Department of Public Enterprises. He has gained Foreign Training and Exposure in related to Accounting and Financial Management from reputed international Institutions/Universities. He has also been a Director/Board Member of several Statutory Institutions including Colombo Commercial Fertilizer, Mantai Salt Ltd.,Building Material Corporation, Ceylon Agro Industries Ltd., Lanka Hydrolic Ltd., Ceylon Ceramics Corporation. And also he served as a member of several expert committees Sri Lanka Transport Board, National water Supply & Drainage Board, Road Development Authority. Athula Kumara worked as a Chief Executive Officer in Local Development Fund from 2012-2014. Mr. D. M. Sarath Abayagunawardana(Non- Executive, Independent Director) Mr. D. M. Sarath Abayagunawardana was appointed as a Director of the HDFC Bank with effect from 11th February 2020. Mr. Sarath Abayagunawardana is presently functioning as the Secretary to the Ministry of Skills Development, Employment & Labour Relations, Chairman of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Chairman of National Institute of Labour Studies and Chairman of Shrama Vasana Fund Board. He had 07 years’ experience as the Chief Secretary of the Eastern Provincial Council. Mr. Sarath Abayagunawardana is a Special Grade officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service with 28 years of service in public sector of Sri Lanka. Prior to being appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Skills Development, Employment & Labour Relations he held several senior positions in public service mainly as Chief Secretary Eastern Province, Divisional Secretary in divisional level administration as well as National Commissioner of Dept of Child Care and Probation. Furthermore he has served as Additional Secretary to the Ministry of State Resources and Enterprise Development prior to assuming duties as Chief Secretary of Eastern Province. He also served as the Sri Lanka Country Coordinator of South Asian Forum and was also adjudged as the Best Divisional Secretary of Kurunegala District in the year 2000. Mr. Sarath Abayagunawardana holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. Furthermore he holds Master’s Degrees in the fields of Sociology and Social Development and Good Governance from University of Kelaniya and Global University of Lifelong Learning, California United States of America respectively. During the course of his public service he has participated in numerous training programs, seminars, workshops and exposure tours in India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil,China, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.