A highly skilled, well-educated workforce who are valued members of the CISI global family were some of the comments made by Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) CEO Tracy Vegro on her recent visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka meeting CISI staff, members, stakeholders and partners.
The global professional financial services membership body CISI, a charity and chartered body created out of the London Stock Exchange, has been operating in Sri Lanka since 2011 and Ms Vegro’s visit to Colombo included a series of business meetings with CISI board members, partners, Embassy officials and accredited training providers.
The CISI Sri Lanka office celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2021. Since the launch of the CISI Colombo office in 2011 with only seven staff, there are now 70 staff whom form the CISI team, including Marketing and Communications, Global Business Development, Finance, Customer Support, and IT.
The most taken financial services professional qualifications in the Sri Lankan market which CISI provide include those for the capital markets, compliance and wealth sectors and since inception 10,000 CISI qualifications have been taken in Sri Lanka. Ms Vegro noted: “It’s been a privilege to meet with the many colleagues, partners and accredited training providers who support CISI here in Sri Lanka. I have also had the great pleasure of meeting our CISI Trustee and National Advisory Council President Mr Nandika Buddhipala MCSI and would like to thank him and the CISI NAC for their continued enthusiasm and wise counsel for CISI’s work on this remarkable island and the wider APAC region.
“From the many important meetings I’ve had, one particular factor has struck me as recurring: the untapped potential in the Sri Lankan financial services market for learning and self development. Our colleagues, partners and supporters have enabled CISI to build not only our world class qualifications, but our wider continuing professional development offering, including professional assessments and integrity suite, which are so critical now for all professionals in keeping their skills current and relevant. The international financial services market is growing and I would encourage young Sri Lankans considering a career in finance to take a look at how CISI can help you accelerate and develop, both as an exam candidate but also a lifelong learner and CISI member.
“Sri Lanka has and is dealing with extraordinary economic challenges, the effects of 
the Covid 19 pandemic, fuel, gas and power shortages. What I have seen in my many meetings and visits is an equally extraordinary resilience and determination. We at CISI are proud of all our Sri Lankan staff, partners, members, board members and ATPs.”
Mr Buddhipala said: “It has been my pleasure working with CISI since 2011 as a part of the National Advisory Council in Sri Lanka. CISI’s continuous engagement in its integrity suite emphasizing ethical behaviour and a strong governance framework is the cornerstone and foundation of financial markets. Improving levels of professional competence through raising individual standards of knowledge, skills and behaviour is gathering momentum during hard times.
“We were delighted to welcome Ms Tracy Vegro OBE, CISI CEO at this critical juncture of our economy and encouraged with her enthusiasm, understanding and appreciation of our extraordinary resilience and determination as a nation. I together with my colleagues at the NAC are eager to work with her in order to enhance the skills of our professionals to be more competitive and impactful in the global financial market space.
“I believe CISI not only continuously enhances the standard of knowledge of the financial professionals in Sri Lanka, but can guide us through to further improve much needed Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belongingness (DEIB) within our corporate culture. It is more important than ever to encourage diverse views and innovation for us to weather through the circumstances which are radically different from what we have experienced in our life time.”
In addition to her meeting with CISI NAC President and Chief Financial Officer of Commercial Bank of Ceylon Mr Nandika Buddhipala MCSI, Ms Vegro also met with Mr Kulendra Janaka, Head of Product Management and Business Analysis at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Kapila Dodamgoda of the Academy of Finance and Mr Michael Fernandopulle, Head of Trade and Investment for the British High Commission Sri Lanka and the Maldives.