A team of

unparalleled excellence

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our Board of Directors consists of esteemed individuals. Respected by their peers and highly qualified, First Guardian Equities is a company you can trust. High quality of impeccable standards is emphasised throughout the brokerage to ensure the provision of unparalleled services to our clients.

B.R.L. Fernando (Chairman)

B.R.L Fernando is a fellow of the institute of chartered accountants of Sri Lanka and brings in a wealth of experience in finance and commerce. A former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CIC Group of companies- the leading player in agricultural chemicals in Sri Lanka, he also held the position of Deputy Chairman of Commercial Bank of Ceylon- the largest private bank in the country. In addition to this, he was the Chairman of Akzo Nobel Paints La. He sat on the board of Paints and General Industries Limited, which is one of the most active institutional investors on the Colombo Stock Exchange.  Experience of years in his arsenal, our chairman is a leading figure in the financial landscape of Sri Lanka.

Mr Fernando also served as the president of the Japan- Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association and was also a Trustee of the Employer’s Federation of Ceylon. He was on the six-member board of the Strategic Enterprise Management Agency (SEMA) that was established by Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Having worked and studied in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Mr Goonewardene possesses a vast experience in finance and equity markets across the globe. An MBA and graduate in business administration, Goonewardene has worked in institutions in Sri Lanka and overseas, including- Barclays Global Investors CBC Crosby (a subsidiary of France’s society general and commercial bank), First Capital and NDB securities.

At the mere age of twenty-six, he headed a brokerage and transformed a long ailing brokerage into profitability within a short time. He also serves as Managing Director of Guardian Insurance Brokers, an agent for Aetna International Insurance in Sri Lanka and serves on the boards of several corporate and societies.

Rohan Goonewardene (Founder/ Chief Executive)

Mr. Suren Goonewardene is the Managing Director of Lankem Ceylon PLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting from Monash University Australia, Member of the Certified Practicing Accountants-Australia and is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing U.K. and Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka. He has functioned in the capacity of Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel Lanka Limited, Chief Operating Officer, Dialog Television and Fixed Line Services, Group Managing Director, Lanka Bell Limited, and has also served on the Boards of Ceylon Shipping Corporation and the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka. He was a Council Member of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and a former Vice President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka. He currently serves on the Boards of Acme Printing & Packaging Plc , Associated Motor Finance Plc , JF Packaging Ltd , and Dawi Investment Trust (Private) Limited. He was a former Independent Non Executive Director of Arpico Finance Plc.

Mr. Goonewardene’s experience spans across multiple industries and possess expertise in the fields of Telecommunication, Information Technology, Strategic Planning, Organizational Restructuring, Investment/Credit Management, Finance, Marketing & Sales, General Management and Business Consultancy

Suren Goonewardene (Director)

Kanchana Ratwatte (Director)

Kanchana Ratwatte is the current Chairman of Bank of Ceylon, the largest commercial bank in Sri Lanka

Mr Ratwatte is a widely respected practitioner of law. He holds an LLB degree from the University of Colombo and is an attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Ratwatte brings in a wealth of experience to our Board of Directors and has held senior positions in both- public and private sectors- in several major industries; he brings infinite knowledge to our table. Mr Ratwatte has been involved in various industries which include- telecommunication, IT, shipping, standard certification and SME sectors that have had a direct impact on the Sri Lankan economy

Hayashi is a seasoned Japanese financial specialist with decades of experience in handling some of the biggest banks and consultancies in Japan. He is the current CEO and Managing Director of SBI Ven Capital Pte Ltd. An Executive  Director of SBI Emerging Asia Financial Sector Fund, SBI Ven Holdings and SBI Ventures Singapore, Mr Hayashi is an extremely talented Director who adds incredible value to our team. He is also a board member of several other companies. Hayashi was the Managing Director of the Wall Street Journal Japan KK, a Director of YaR Bank and is a General Manager at SBI Holdings. Hayashi has an MBA from Insead in France, bachelor’s of Law from the University of Tokyo and has majored in Economics at Williams College.

Ryosuke Hayashi (Director)

Shiran Dias (Director)

Dias is an alumnus of Harvard University with a Master in Arts in East Asian studies as well as of Boston University. He possesses a Master’s degree in International Relations and Communications and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and East Asian studies. During his distinguished career, Dias has held several positions in leading financial institutions. This includes- The Jeffries Group Inc New York where he was Managing Director, JP Morgan Securities in Japan where he was Executive Director, Barclays Bank PLC in Tokyo where he undertook the role of Director of Foreign Bonds Sales, among more.

Mr Dias is part of the senior management of SBI Holdings in Tokyo and is a great asset to us as a Director, here at First Guardian Equities.