People’s Insurance PLC announced the appointment of Chandana Shubhashana Guniyangoda as its new Independent Chairman, effective from December 10, 2025.
A distinguished finance professional, Guniyangoda holds dual fellowships from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (FCA) and Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (FCMA), bringing a wealth of leadership excellence to the board.
With a career spanning over 27 years, including 19 years in the commercial banking sector, Guniyangoda is widely recognised for his deep expertise in financial management. His academic credentials include a Master of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a Master of Arts in Financial Economics from the University of Colombo. Additionally, he holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration (Special) and an Advanced Certificate in Banking and Finance from the Institute of Bankers and IFS (London).
Throughout his career, Guniyangoda has held various strategic roles, including positions as Board Director and key management personnel. He previously served as Assistant Vice President Finance, Strategic Planning and Business Support at NDB Bank PLC and as a Director of Development Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd.
His banking experience is further highlighted by his tenure as an ALCO Officer and Senior Executive for Finance and Planning at Sampath Bank PLC. He was also part of a world champion team in asset and liability management. His professional journey began as a Trainee Graduate at Aitken Spence PLC. Beyond the corporate sector, Guniyangoda has contributed to national development initiatives, serving as a Finance and Administration Specialist under the World Bank’s Agriculture Modernization Project. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in restructuring institutional frameworks within Sri Lanka’s agriculture and plantation sectors. His extensive expertise covers strategic planning, business transformation, process re-engineering, cost optimization and risk management. Currently, he serves as Group Chief Financial Officer of MG Group of Companies and holds board positions at New Vithanakande Tea Factory (Pvt.) Ltd and CCPI Management Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. He is also an Independent Senior Director at People’s Bank and an Honorary Board Member of Management at the CA Sri Lanka SAB Campus. People’s Insurance stated that Guniyangoda’s vision and proven leadership capabilities would be instrumental in strengthening the company’s strategic direction and accelerating growth within Sri Lanka’s insurance sector.