|
Harvard
wants to hear Chandula
HNB-fame
and ‘Banking With The Poor Network’ chief
will be first Lankan to address top global institute’s
two-day conference on Asia in Boston next month
 |
| Chandula
Abeywickrema |
Chandula
Abeywickrema, Chairman of the Banking With The Poor
(BWTP) Network and the Deputy General Manager (Personal
Banking & Network Management) of Hatton National
Bank, has been invited to speak at the Harvard Asia
Business Conference, the largest Asia-focused business
conference in North America, by the Harvard Business
School and Alliance for Financial Inclusion.
This year’s conference will be convened on 14-15
February, 2009, at the Harvard Business School in Boston,
Massachusetts.
The Asia Business Conference is an annual gathering
jointly organized by the Harvard Business School, the
Harvard Law School, and the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government. The conference aims to foster meaningful
discussion on policies and trends that dominate the
business and legal institutions of modern Asia. To this
end, the conference organises a series of keynote speeches,
plenary sessions, topical panels, and social events
featuring distinguished leaders from industry, government,
and academia who have intimate experience in Asia.
Chandula Abeywickrema who is the Chairman of the Banking
With The Poor (BWTP) Network, the largest Asia based
Microfinance Network with a membership of over 50 leading
financial institutions in 15 countries in Asia, has
been recognised for his contribution to Microfinance
in Asia, as its Chairman. He has been invited to the
most prestigious Microfinance Forums in the past, and
has very passionately advocated the alleviation of poverty
and economic revival of the people at the Bottom of
the Pyramid. This year he has been invited to speak
at the Asia Pacific Regional Micro Credit Summit in
Bali, Indonesia, and at the Asian Banker’s Association
in Kuala Lumpur, SEEP conference in Washington D.C,
Citi and Financial Educational Summit in Beijing.
Chandula also gave leadership in organiaing one of the
most successful Microfinance Conferences of the year,
the Asia Microfinance Forum organized by the BWTP Network,
and attended by 500 delegates from over 50 countries
and considered by many participants as one of the best
Microfinance Forums that was held during the year. The
topics Chandula covered at the Conference included the
“Role of the Commercial Bank’s in Microfinance,
the Future of Microfinance in Asia” and “Technology
and Microfinance”. He was highly recognised in
Vietnam, where the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies,
invited him to share his expertise and ideas and some
of it has now been implemented by the Vietnam Bank for
Social Policies.
In view of Chandula’s expertise and the involvement
in the Microfinance Industry, he was appointed as the
Microfinance Team Leader for Asian Banker’s Association
on the recommendation of R Theagarajah, Managing Director
of Hatton National Bank, who is also Vice Chairman of
the Asian Banker’s Association.
Chandula who is also the Deputy General Manager (Personal
Banking & Network Management) of Hatton National
Bank, has under his direction the bank’s Development
Banking Division which takes care of the well known
Microfinance programme of HNB ‘Gami Pubuduwa’
as well as the Agricultural lending initiatives which
are managed.
This is noteworthy in view that it is the first time
a Sri Lankan has been honoured to address at the Harvard
Asia Business Conference.
|
