Women Shaping the System at People’s Bank

In banking, the most consequential decisions are often the least visible.

They sit behind credit approvals and capital allocation, in systems that determine how quickly a customer is served, how securely a transaction is processed, or how resilient a balance sheet remains under pressure. These are not peripheral functions; they are the architecture of trust.

At People’s Bank, a group of women leaders are operating at the centre of that architecture.

For this special feature, inline with International Women’s Month, Echelon speaks with some of the Bank’s most senior women across retail banking, credit finance and infrastructure development, operations, corporate banking, compliance, treasury, and finance. These functions collectively define how an institution performs, adapts, and grows. Each conversation goes beyond role and responsibility, exploring how leadership is exercised, and how systems can evolve to be more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready.

What emerges is a deeper insight into how customer experience is redesigned, how credit is assessed, how risk is managed, and how capital is deployed. Across these conversations, a consistent thread emerges: a rethinking of how opportunity is created, particularly for women navigating financial systems, careers, and enterprise.

This is not a story about breaking ceilings. It is about redesigning systems, and how leadership, when embedded across functions, begins to transform the system from within.

In a function that controls capital and decision-making, what needs to change for more women to move from financial management roles into positions that shape capital allocation and strategy?

Nilmini Premalal (Deputy General Manager – Acting Head of Finance):

Finance sits at the center of every strategic decision, and my focus is on capital discipline — ensuring that growth is balanced with resilience through careful allocation, strong asset quality, and cost efficiency. My role extends beyond reporting performance to shaping where and how resources are deployed.

The transition from technical expertise to strategic authority is not always automatic, particularly for women in finance functions. Transitioning into strategy-shaping roles requires three shifts.

First, we need broader exposure beyond technical finance, as women must be included in credit committees, investment decisions, and strategic planning platforms. Second, intentional leadership pathways should be developed through structured succession planning, mentoring, and visibility at senior levels. Third, we must establish confidence in our strategic voice, encouraging women to contribute to debates, challenge assumptions, and influence capital decisions.

Enabling more women to shape capital allocation is not only an inclusion priority — it strengthens governance, risk judgment, and long-term sustainability.

How can women in compliance leadership step into their authority with confidence and shape critical decisions — especially in moments where strong judgement and courage are required?

Samanthi Senanayake (Deputy General Manager – Compliance):

Compliance today operates at the speed of change. As digital banking expands, risks — from fraud and cyber threats to regulatory breaches — have become more complex and immediate. My approach reflects this shift: moving from static controls to real-time monitoring, data-driven insights, and closer integration across teams.

In this environment, compliance is no longer about enforcement alone; it is about influence, judgment, and decisive action in critical moments. That responsibility brings into focus the role of confidence and authority in leadership, particularly for women operating in high-stakes decision environments.

Women in compliance leadership shape institutions when they combine technical expertise with principled courage. Confidence comes from deep regulatory knowledge, preparation, and ethical clarity. Data-backed insights strengthen credibility in high-stakes discussions. Building alliances across audit, risk, and business teams enhances influence.

In critical moments, women leaders anchor decisions in institutional values, risk appetite, and long-term impact rather than hierarchy. Challenging the status quo becomes powerful when it is framed as protecting reputation, sustainability, and stakeholder trust.

Treasury remains one of the least visible pathways for women — what will it take to build a stronger pipeline of women leaders in core financial markets and investment roles?

Shameela Senaratne Loku Kaluge (Deputy General Manager – Treasury, International & Investment):

Treasury is where uncertainty is managed and strategy is defined. I lead with a focus on disciplined agility, balancing liquidity, managing exposure to interest rates and foreign exchange, and positioning the bank in response to macroeconomic shifts. My role is not to avoid risk, but to take it with precision.

Yet, treasury remains one of the least visible — and least accessible — pathways for women in banking. Addressing that gap requires a deliberate rethinking of exposure, opportunity, and leadership development.

Building a stronger pipeline requires intentional action. Treasury and financial markets roles are often perceived as highly technical and high-pressure, limiting early exposure for women. Structured rotations and mentorship are essential to make these functions more accessible.

Visibility also plays a key role; highlighting successful women in these careers reshapes perceptions and builds confidence. When institutions commit to equitable opportunities, transparent succession planning, and leadership development, more women will step forward and thrive in these critical roles.

How can banks reimagine the credit framework to actively unlock the growth potential of women-led enterprises, moving beyond traditional constraints to back ambitious innovation and future scale?

Thushari Hewawasam (Deputy General Manager – Commercial Credit):

Credit is one of the most defining functions within a bank. I aim to approach this responsibility with disciplined clarity. Every lending decision must balance two fundamentals: the borrower’s ability to repay, grounded in rigorous financial and sectoral analysis, and the willingness to repay, rooted in governance and ethical conduct.

Growth is not driven by relaxed standards, but by sharper analytics and informed judgment. But within this discipline, I ask a deeper question: who gets access to growth, and on what terms?

That question becomes especially relevant when considering the structural barriers faced by women-led enterprises. It shapes my perspective on how credit itself must evolve.

Women’s empowerment requires banks to reimagine traditional credit frameworks that often depend heavily on collateral and past scale. To unlock the growth potential of women-led enterprises, we must adopt cash-flow–based lending, relationship banking, and risk models that recognize capability, innovation, and future scalability.

At People’s Bank, we support this vision through dedicated products such as Vanitha Vasana accounts and loan schemes like Vanitha Saviya, along with special policy considerations for women entrepreneurs. Beyond financing, we offer consultations, capacity-building, mentorship, financial literacy, relief measures, and access to grants, positioning the bank not just as a lender, but as a long-term growth partner.

How can retail banking be reimagined to empower women at every stage of their financial journey — enabling greater independence, resilience, and long-term wealth creation?

Aruni Liyanagunawardana (Deputy General Manager – Retail Banking & Overseas Customer Services):

Retail banking is undergoing a fundamental shift, moving from transactional efficiency to relationship intelligence. I want to lead this transition by rethinking how the bank engages with both local and diaspora customers. My focus is on building a borderless ecosystem, one that anticipates needs across geographies and life stages.

For diaspora communities in particular, I recognise that banking carries emotional weight. Remittances are not simply financial flows — they are commitments to families, futures, continuity and national resilience.

This perspective is shaping a model that blends digital fluency with human advisory, repositioning branches as trusted spaces for guidance rather than transactions. Technology is not a replacement for trust, but a reinforcement of it.

It is through this same lens — recognizing financial journeys as deeply personal and evolving — that I view women empowerment in banking.

To reimagine retail banking for women, we must recognise that financial journeys evolve through education, caregiving, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Banking must move beyond one-size-fits-all products to design solutions that build confidence, continuity, and control.

This requires intuitive digital access, advisory-led engagement, and products that promote disciplined savings, responsible credit, and long-term asset creation.

Embedding financial literacy and trust into every interaction is equally critical. When women are empowered to make informed financial decisions independently, banking becomes a catalyst for resilience, intergenerational wealth creation, and inclusive economic progress within communities.

What would it take to see more women not only in corporate banking but leading the biggest relationships and negotiations?

Sadhana Perera (Deputy General Manager – Corporate Banking):

Corporate banking sits at the intersection of capital and ambition, where large-scale decisions shape industries and economic direction. I oversee sectors that will define the future, including renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, so my role involves structuring complex financing solutions, guiding strategic investments, and enabling businesses to scale responsibly.

It is a space that demands not only technical expertise, but also visibility, confidence, and the ability to lead in high-stakes environments.

To see more women leading major relationships and negotiations in an organisation, we need intentional succession planning and early exposure to complex deals. Senior leaders must actively sponsor women into high-stakes client mandates — not just support them quietly, but involve them in decision-making.

Flexible policies must coexist with performance ambition, especially during mid-career years, supported by transparent promotion criteria.

Women must be encouraged to own revenue, take calculated risks, and build strong networks. When capability meets sponsorship and visibility, leadership naturally follows.

Operations roles can be invisible — how do we ensure women leading these functions get recognized as enterprise leaders, not “back office” managers?

Indumini Rathnayake (Deputy General Manager – Banking Support Services):

The strength of a bank is often defined by what customers never see. I’m in charge of the operational backbone, spanning procurement, engineering, maintenance, security, and printing. These functions directly impact service speed, uptime, and reliability. My responsibilities include removing friction through digital workflow optimisation, predictive maintenance, and centralised service management.

We’re moving from reactive operations to intelligent systems — where issues are anticipated, processes are streamlined, and performance is measurable.

Yet leadership in these spaces often remains understated, raising a critical question about how impact is recognised within organisations.

Operational leadership keeps the Bank strong, compliant, safe, and running seamlessly for customers, while safeguarding and protecting the value of money across the organisation.

To ensure women leading these functions are recognised as enterprise leaders, their work must be clearly linked to customer service, risk management, and overall business performance. This includes empowering women leaders in operational functions to participate in strategy discussions and aligning their KPIs directly with customer outcomes.

It is also important to quantify and communicate measurable impact, such as cost savings, uptime improvements, and sustainability achievements.

When these contributions are clearly tied to business results, operational leaders are positioned at the core of enterprise leadership.

The Next Tier

Leadership at People’s Bank is not confined to a single layer — it is being built with depth.

Across the Bank, women are stepping into greater responsibility across functions, contributing to decisions that shape performance, risk, and growth. They may not always hold the most visible titles, but they are already operating within the system that defines the institution.

What this represents is continuity: a deliberate strengthening of the leadership pipeline, where experience, exposure, and opportunity are extended beyond the top tier. These women are not waiting to lead; they are being prepared, positioned, and trusted to do so.

That depth is already visible. Women make up nearly 60% of the Bank’s workforce, with over 4,800 of its 8,122 employees, and hold significant ground across leadership, from corporate and executive management to leading 11 of the Bank’s 25 regions. This is not representation at the margins — it is leadership embedded across the system.

The true measure of leadership is not only who leads today — but who is ready to lead next.