Board of Directors

Mr. Thomas Fernando

Director / Board Chairman

With over 25 years of experience in Sri Lanka’s financial services sector, Mr. Fernando provides strategic leadership and governance oversight to CDFF. A Diploma holder in Marketing from the University of Colombo, he has built a strong reputation for business development, market expansion and sustainable financial management. As Chairman, he ensures that CDFF maintains strategic discipline, ethical governance and long-term institutional stability while aligning business growth with national development goals.

Mr. Mahesh Perera

Director / Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Perera brings over 20 years of extensive experience in microfinance and financial services leadership. His professional journey includes 7 years at Ceylinco Grameen (HNB Finance) and 13 years at Commercial Credit. He holds an MBA from Cardiff Staffordshire University (UK) and possesses strong expertise in strategic planning, portfolio management, credit risk governance and branch expansion. As CEO, he is responsible for defining CDFF’s strategic direction, operational excellence, institutional growth and stakeholder confidence.

Mr. Ivan Bandara

Director / Deputy Chief Executive Officer

With over two decades of industry experience, Mr. Bandara has held senior positions at Ceylinco Grameen (HNB Finance) for 7 years, Commercial Credit PLC for 6 years and LOLC for 6 years. He holds an MBA from Preah Sihamoniraja Buddhist University (Cambodia) and specializes in branch operations, performance management and operational strategy execution. As Deputy CEO, he plays a critical role in driving branch productivity, credit discipline and operational alignment with corporate strategy.

Mr. P. Kovarthan

Director / Chief Operations Officer

Mr. Kovarthan possesses over 20 years of experience in microfinance operations, including leadership roles at Ceylinco Grameen for 6 years, Commercial Credit for 1 year and Nation Lanka Finance for 12 years. He holds a BBA in Management and is known for his strong operational structuring, portfolio monitoring, and process optimization expertise. As COO, he oversees day-to-day operational performance, ensures credit quality standards and drives service delivery efficiency across the branch network.

Mr. Jagath Ranathunga

Consultant

A respected entrepreneur with significant experience in real estate and corporate administration, Mr. Ranathunga brings strong governance and asset management capabilities to CDFF. He oversees administrative operations, infrastructure development, and institutional support functions, ensuring that CDFF maintains operational stability and organizational discipline.