Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC has appointed Shashi Kandambi to its Board as an Independent, Non-Executive Director.
Shashi Kandambi is an accomplished banking and financial services leader with over 37 years of extensive experience in banking, financial management, corporate leadership and strategic transformation.
Her career encompasses senior executive and CEO-level responsibilities, with particular expertise in corporate governance, risk oversight, financial strategy, regulatory engagement, digital transformation and stakeholder management.
She served as the General Manager/Chief Executive Director of National Savings Bank (NSB) from January 2024 to January 2026, where she provided strategic leadership during a significant period of institutional transformation. Her tenure focused on strengthening NSB’s financial position, enhancing risk and governance frameworks, improving operational efficiency, advancing digital capabilities and developing institutional capacity.
She also represented NSB at prestigious international forums, including the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) Centenary Conference, SIBOS and the Asian SWIFT Forum, enhancing NSB’s international profile.
Previously, Kandambi held the position of Senior Deputy General Manager and several other senior leadership positions at Sampath Bank PLC, where she provided leadership across Corporate Banking, International Banking, Corporate Credit, Digitalisation, Treasury, Corporate Finance, Offshore Banking, Legal and Recoveries. She has extensive experience in strategic planning, financial resource management, credit and risk oversight, business development, international trade and regulatory matters.
During her career, she has demonstrated particular strength in leading organisations through periods of change and complexity, including the COVID-19 pandemic, where she was involved in ensuring business continuity, liquidity management, digital enablement and the implementation of regulatory relief measures.
Kandambi holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Finance from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, and a Diploma in Banking from the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL). She is a Senior Fellow of the IBSL and holds a Board Leadership Director Certification from the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID). Her executive education includes programmes at Harvard Business School and the University of Sussex.
She has contributed significantly to the banking profession, including serving as the President of the Association of Professional Bankers Sri Lanka and through various professional, academic and advisory roles.
Throughout her banking career, Kandambi has held a number of significant board, governance and industry leadership positions, reflecting her extensive experience in the financial services sector. She is also a Member of the Sri Lanka Bankers’ Association (SLBA), the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL), the Lanka Financial Services Bureau and the NSB Fund Management Company. Kandambi has also served as the Chairperson of the SWIFT User Group Sri Lanka and Financial Ombudsman Sri Lanka.
These memberships and appointments have provided her with broad exposure to industry governance, financial-sector policy, regulatory and institutional matters, stakeholder engagement and the development of the banking and financial services sector.
Her professional recognition includes the ‘Gold Medal – Top 50 Career and Professional Women 2017’, awarded by Women in Management in partnership with IFC, and the ‘Business Leader of the Year 2025’ awarded by AICPA and CIMA (CIMA-JXG Pinnacle Award).
Currently a financial consultant, Kandambi brings to board and advisory roles a combination of extensive financial-sector expertise, strategic leadership, governance experience, regulatory understanding and a strong commitment to sustainable value creation.