Council for Business with Britain appoints Ameena Ziauddin as President following the organisation’s 26th Annual General Meeting, marking the start of a new leadership team focused on deepening trade, investment and business collaboration between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
Council for Business with Britain appoints Ameena Ziauddin as President for 2026–2027
The Council for Business with Britain (CBB) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce held its Annual General Meeting at Westminster House in Colombo, bringing together members, business leaders and stakeholders committed to strengthening bilateral commercial relations.
Norfolk Foods Managing Director Ameena Ziauddin was elected President of the Council for the 2026–2027 term. She succeeds HSBC Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Mark Surgenor, who will continue to serve on the committee as Immediate Past President.
Joining the new leadership team are KPMG Sri Lanka Principal and Head of Deal Advisory Shiluka Goonewardene as Senior Vice President, LSEG Chief Financial Officer Fadhil Jiffry as Vice President and We Are Team Rocket Chief Executive Officer Krystle Reid Wijesuriya as Treasurer.
The Council also elected representatives from leading private sector organisations to serve on its committee for the 2026–2027 term. The committee includes Aitken Spence Travels Ltd., GTN Technologies Ltd., Hayleys PLC, Hilton Colombo Residences, John Keells Holdings PLC, MAS Holdings Ltd., Ocean Pick Ltd., Point to Point Consulting, Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd. and Wilton Metal Box Company Ltd.
In addition, the Council invited British High Commission Head of Trade and Investment Asanthi Fernando, Commercial Bank of Ceylon CEO Sanath Manatunge, The British School in Colombo Principal Hannah Wells, and British Council Sri Lanka Country Director Orlando Edwards to serve on the committee by invitation.
To provide strategic continuity, Shirendra Lawrence, Roshanie Moraes and Tania Polonnowita were appointed to the Advisory Committee.
Addressing the gathering, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick congratulated the Council on its continued efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka UK trade and investment ties. He praised Sri Lankan businesses for their resilience, innovation and adaptability while also welcoming the recent increase in British tourist arrivals and improvements in aviation connectivity between the two countries.
Patrick also highlighted the United Kingdom’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery through the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), describing it as one of the world’s most generous preferential trading programmes.
He noted that reforms introduced in January 2026 have expanded duty-free market access for Sri Lankan apparel exports, providing exporters with greater opportunities to improve competitiveness in the UK market.
Encouraging exporters to maximise these benefits, he said the enhanced scheme could help diversify exports, boost trade volumes and further strengthen economic cooperation between the two nations.
In his farewell address, outgoing President Mark Surgenor reflected on a year of progress for the Council, citing continued growth in bilateral trade supported by the DCTS framework.
He also highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his tenure, including economic briefings, networking events and collaborative engagements with public and private sector stakeholders.
Among the Council’s key achievements was the establishment of a dedicated Next Generation and SME platform designed to engage young professionals, entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders while creating stronger connections within the wider business community.
Delivering her inaugural address, Ameena Ziauddin reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening the Council’s role as a leading platform for business collaboration under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
She highlighted the success of the NextGen Committee, describing it as the first initiative of its kind established under a business council in Sri Lanka. According to Ziauddin, the platform has already created valuable opportunities for young professionals and entrepreneurs to engage meaningfully with the business sector while supporting the development of future business leaders.
Under the new leadership, the Council is expected to continue promoting stronger commercial partnerships, investment opportunities and policy dialogue, reinforcing its role in advancing Sri Lanka UK trade and fostering long-term economic cooperation between the two countries.