STRATEGIC ARCHITECT: A DRIVE TO REALISE ANTICIPATED SYNERGIES

Functions of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) have evolved over the years and in the current context, the CFO role is not limited to financial reporting or statutory compliance but extends across a wider spectrum including strategy, organisational culture and efficiency enhancement. However, the day-to-day financial focus is still an important role, but the strategic role is much more pivotal and critical. Likewise, my role has also been extended to support strategy development and enabling execution.

Understanding the right strategic choices for the bank and the execution of such decisions have been a priority in my role. Investing in the correct options with the right risk appetite to deliver anticipated Return on Investment (ROI) would certainly drive us towards achieving our overall strategic objectives. Such value addition would help to achieve stakeholder satisfaction while achieving sustainable growth. Also, my role as the CFO influences the future direction of the bank and it is vital in providing financial leadership and aligning business and finance strategies to grow the business.

Most importantly, goal-setting and monitoring progress are other vital functions that I am involved with. The use of Business Intelligence (BI) in the performance measuring process further improves our corporate planning and performance measures. Overall confidence and enablement given to me in driving these activities within the bank are phenomenal. I am proud to say that I am able to very comfortably and effectively manage my role within a very professional framework.

The role of a CFO in an uncertain market is never easy, and being a bank with a large balance sheet, the responsibility to drive the numbers, and to remain sustainable is a formidable challenge. While I am fortunate to be in an environment where I can excel in my job, the acceptance, acknowledgement and appreciation that I receive from everyone at the bank, across all levels up to the senior management and the Board of Directors, give me the confidence and drive to do betters

The culture of a business is critical for a CFO to be effective in her role. At Seylan Bank, we have a caring and friendly culture where everyone is accountable with zero tolerance for all forms of discrimination. This culture has made my role much easier as I can set goals, communicate our strategies, get everyone’s buy-in with respect and drive towards achieving them more prudently and confidently.

During my long tenure at Seylan, I have never felt discriminated against or different. The right synchronization of the Seylan culture has made this workplace a friendlier and more attractive one – and one which I certainly appreciate and am thankful for. On a final note, Seylan has always been the “Bank with a Heart” to all its stakeholders across the board, and my experience with the bank would certainly be a testament to that.

EMPOWERED TO EXCEL

I recall the excitement I felt when I joined Seylan Bank in 2017 and took on the challenge to grow the bank’s corporate banking business. I had been managing a corporate portfolio at a bank for several years prior to my joining Seylan. However, it was Seylan Bank that saw my potential and gave me the opportunity. I was confident of success because I was assured of all the support I would need, and the trust that was placed in me by the bank’s leadership was very encouraging. Over the years, the bank brought out the best in me, and I rose through the ranks to head the corporate banking unit.

Our corporate portfolio was a shade over Rs51 billion in 2017 when I joined Seylan. By the end of 2021, our corporate portfolio had expanded to Rs123 billion. In terms of profitability of the corporate banking unit, it has grown by over 600% during this period to Rs1.9 billion. None of this would have been possible without the support of the team and the leadership, which is why I strongly feel that there is no discrimination or gender bias at Seylan Bank. No barriers or obstacles ever prevented me from reaching my objectives.

Our corporate banking portfolio includes bluechip companies and other corporations ranging from large to small. Their collective impact on the economy and contribution to GDP and employment are formidable. In my role, I am responsible for building long term relationships, growing the portfolio and exploring new business opportunities in emerging sectors of the economy.

Trust and long-term relationships matter for sustainable growth for our clients and the bank. A big part of what we do is helping our corporate clients manage risk by unravelling the complexities and uncertainties inherent to this market, helping them grow or weather the storm during a crisis, like the one we’re experiencing now.

We need to balance different expectations in our line of work as financial intermediaries that drive economic activity. Our shareholders, the regulator, and our depositors have varying demands. We also need to manage the bank’s risks and generate sufficient returns on our investments to satisfy investors and depositors and engineer growth for the bank. We must do all that while taking care of our clients on the lending side, especially during a crisis when they confront difficulties in servicing loans and managing risks effectively.

It’s a tough balancing act, but a rewarding one, and I am proud of what my team has achieved over the years, notably during the pandemic. About 57% of my team is female, and I try to be a role model and inspire them to greatness. As an equal opportunity employer with diversity and inclusion as a part of its structure, Seylan Bank empowers women to achieve anything they set their minds to if they put in the effort.

A RELENTLESS BELIEF IN PEOPLE THAT FOSTERS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

People lead organisations towards success – whether in the driving seat of leadership or merely in the back office, playing an unseen yet critically important support function. Ideas are generated by people and implemented by people. So, you cannot remove this asset from the equation if you want to build or sustain a successful business.

At Seylan Bank, we have a staff strength of over 3,000, with an extensive network of 171 branches island-wide. Our people hail from different parts of the country and have varying backgrounds. Irrespective of where they come from or their job function, every employee is a brand ambassador of Seylan Bank. Public perceptions of the bank are formed based on interactions with these employees.

Equally important is the internal collaboration among teams across the bank. Therefore, recruiting the right people with the right attitude and ensuring they fit the culture and values of the bank by providing a sound onboarding programme is critical. We need to equip them with the right skills with appropriate training interventions, followed by recognition and rewards that assure career progression. All these are crucial areas that come under the purview of the function I lead.

Seylan Bank has always had a strong culture that empowered women as diversity and inclusion was ingrained into the culture almost by default. Over the years, we have seen women rise to leadership positions within the bank, including the first woman CEO in 1997. Women are not only stepping up to the plate, relishing every new challenge as an opportunity, they are also being recognised and empowered with considerable responsibility. Today, several women occupy seats at the senior management level and the board of directors. Our inclusive culture is a source of inspiration for all the women who have walked through Seylan Bank’s welcoming doors.

In an ultra-competitive industry, talent retention is imperative. Hence, helping employees achieve their aspirations through a carefully crafted HR strategy that aligns with the bank’s strategic direction has and continues to remain the core purpose of the HR unit.

Reflecting on my purpose and role as the Chief Manager for HR, I make every effort to bring out the best in people, especially those viewed as underperformers and sidelined by their teams. Getting involved in developing and transforming them into high performing employees, and seeing them become stars in the bank, is the most rewarding experience in my career. I firmly believe that you need to trust in people, in their capacity to grow and reach their potential, and only then can you solidify a strong diversity and inclusion culture.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE AS A BANKER

As the head of the Corporate Credit Branches Unit, I have gained a unique insight into the inner workings spanning the spectrum of our customers, which has enabled me and my team to provide personalised strategic solutions that best fit their needs. Critical to our success is the frontline service provided by our network of branches whose holistic view is cooperation and relationship.

We have been an integral part of many organisations from the start-up stage, seeing them grow and become market leaders. It’s fulfilling to watch them grow from seedlings to large corporates. Our collaborative consultative approach based on the bedrock of relationships have seen many customers who are now large corporations display a penchant and insistence to be served by branches. Sitting together as stakeholders with our customers and working on their strategies, offering our expert service is our collaborative approach, which has made us a partner who understands their values and potential. The assurance of us being there for them has fostered a relationship that enables open communication and respect which has resulted in mutual growth for all.

Our strength has always been ‘understanding the core requirements’ of our clients – and providing the most relevant and timely solutions, to suit their needs. We’ve respected the journey they have embarked on, and the effort they have put in towards their own achievements – and our focus has enabled them further. Our efforts have been rewarded by our clientele’s long-standing trust in us.

This approach stems from the vision established by the founder members of our organisation – which fosters a sense of ‘humility’, ‘trust’ and ’empowerment’ – which is still clearly embodied in the bank today.

Personally, I have strived to inculcate these same values in everyone whom I have worked with.

Reflecting on my career at Seylan Bank, I am empowered to make a difference and be a force of positive change for our clients and the bank. Seylan Bank has had ladies at the forefront all along. Roles and responsibilities are not gender-specific neither are the challenges. Yet what inspires women to grow is the encouragement, trust and belief, and equal opportunities provided to them.

There is never a question of them having to sacrifice family, or their personal lives and goals to build a career at Seylan Bank. It’s the encouragement I received from my superiors and colleagues that has helped me to be my best, and give my best over the years, managing both my home front and work, even in the most challenging of times.

I take pride in my achievements not only as a woman but as a professional who is passionate about inspiring the new generation of females to push beyond their own boundaries which often hold them back.