People’s Leasing & Finance has appointed two veterans from financial backgrounds as Senior Deputy General Managers.
Udesh Gunawardena was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer, while Laksanda Gunawardena was appointed Head of the Branch Network of PLC, effective from October 31, 2022.
Udesh Gunawardena possesses over 25 years of experience in finance, with particular emphasis on accounting, auditing, financial management, and treasury operations.
He has held senior positions in the finance industry, demonstrating his leadership abilities. On a secondment basis, he has played a key role at the Lankan Alliance Finance Limited Bangladesh, a subsidiary of PLC. He also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Lankan Alliance Finance Limited Bangladesh. Udesh is an Associate Member of CA Sri Lanka and an Associate Member of Certified Management Accountants (Sri Lanka). He possesses a Diploma inTreasury, Investments, and Risk Management (IBSL). He has also been awarded the World Prize Winner of the Australian Computer Society. Laksanda Gunawardena has over 27 years of experience in corporate and SME financing. He is versatile in Credit, Marketing, Portfolio Management, Branch Development, and Operations. He has functioned as the Head of Corporate Leasing for ten years and Head of Marketing for three years with his leadership qualities. Laksanda has a track record of success in challenging leadership roles, achieving transformational change, and sustainable business growth. Laksanda serves as Director of People’s Micro Commerce, a fully- owned subsidiary of People’s Leasing & Finance.
He possesses an MBA from the University of Wales, is a certified management accountant of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia, and holds an MSc in Strategic Marketing from Asia e University. He is qualified for CMA (Australia) and CPM (Asia).
Further, Laksanda is an Associate Member of the Institute of Credit Management Sri Lanka and holds a Diploma in Credit Management from the Sri Lanka Institute of Credit Management. Laksanda is a certified member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing and the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Managers of Sri Lanka.
