A highly skilled, well-educated workforce who are valued members of the CISI global family
were some of the comments made by Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI)
CEO Tracy Vegro on her recent visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka meeting CISI staff, members,
stakeholders and partners.
The global professional financial services membership body CISI, a charity and chartered
body created out of the London Stock Exchange, has been operating in Sri Lanka since
2011 and Vegro’s visit to Colombo included a series of business meetings with CISI board
members, partners, Embassy officials and accredited training providers.
The CISI Sri Lanka office celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2021. Since the launch of the
CISI Colombo office in 2011 with only seven staff, there are now 70 staff whom form the
CISI team, including Marketing and Communications, Global Business Development,
Finance, Customer Support, and IT.
The most taken financial services professional qualifications in the Sri Lankan market which
CISI provide include those for the capital markets, compliance and wealth sectors and since
inception 10,000 CISI qualifications have been taken in Sri Lanka. Vegro noted: “It’s been a
privilege to meet with the many colleagues, partners and accredited training providers who
support CISI here in Sri Lanka. I have also had the great pleasure of meeting our CISI
Trustee and National Advisory Council President Nandika Buddhipala MCSI and would like
to thank him and the CISI NAC for their continued enthusiasm and wise counsel for CISI’s
work on this remarkable island and the wider APAC region.
“From the many important meetings I’ve had, one particular factor has struck me as
recurring: the untapped potential in the Sri Lankan financial services market for learning and
self development. Our colleagues, partners and supporters have enabled CISI to build not
only our world class qualifications, but our wider continuing professional development
offering, including professional assessments and integrity suite, which are so critical now for
all professionals in keeping their skills current and relevant. The international financial
services market is growing and I would encourage young Sri Lankans considering a career
in finance to take a look at how CISI can help you accelerate and develop, both as an exam
candidate but also a lifelong learner and CISI member.
“Sri Lanka has and is dealing with extraordinary economic challenges, the effects of the
Covid 19 pandemic, fuel, gas and power shortages. What I have seen in my many meetings
and visits is an equally extraordinary resilience and determination. We at CISI are proud of
all our Sri Lankan staff, partners, members, board members and ATPs.”
Nandika Buddhipala said: “It has been my pleasure working with CISI since 2011 as a part of
the National Advisory Council in Sri Lanka. CISI’s continuous engagement in its integrity
suite emphasizing ethical behaviour and a strong governance framework is the cornerstone
and foundation of financial markets. Improving levels of professional competence through
raising individual standards of knowledge, skills and behaviour is gathering momentum
during hard times.
“We were delighted to welcome Tracy Vegro OBE, CISI CEO at this critical juncture of our
economy and encouraged with her enthusiasm, understanding and appreciation of our
extraordinary resilience and determination as a nation. I together with my colleagues at the
NAC are eager to work with her in order to enhance the skills of our professionals to be more
competitive and impactful in the global financial market space.
“I believe CISI not only continuously enhances the standard of knowledge of the financial
professionals in Sri Lanka, but can guide us through to further improve much needed
Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belongingness (DEIB) within our corporate culture. It is
more important than ever to encourage diverse views and innovation for us to weather
through the circumstances which are radically different from what we have experienced in
our life time.”
In addition to her meeting with CISI NAC President and Chief Financial Officer of
Commercial Bank of Ceylon Nandika Buddhipala MCSI, Vegro also met with Kulendra
Janaka, Head of Product Management and Business Analysis at the London Stock
Exchange Group (LSEG), Kapila Dodamgoda of the Academy of Finance and Michael
Fernandopulle, Head of Trade and Investment for the British High Commission Sri Lanka
and the Maldives.