Ceylinco life has announced the appointment of industry veteran Dr Kelum Senanayake as a Consultant, reinforcing the Company’s strategic focus on capability building, training excellence, product innovation and operational rigour.
In his new role, Dr Senanayake will primarily oversee the training function of Ceylinco Life, working closely with the Company’s training team to provide direction, guidance and fresh insights aimed at continuously improving the quality, relevance and effectiveness of training across the organisation. He will also support product design and development initiatives as and when required, drawing on his extensive experience across the insurance value chain, the Company said.
With over 40 years of experience in the insurance industry, Dr Senanayake brings to Ceylinco Life a proven track record of strategic leadership and operational expertise. He holds the unique distinction of being the first and only Chief Executive Officer in the Sri Lankan insurance industry to achieve the coveted Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) status, which he accomplished in an impressive 133 days.
Dr Senanayake previously served as Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer of Arpico Insurance PLC, and also served as a Director on the Boards of Richard Peiris Distributors and Richard Peiris Finance Company. He began his career in 1982 at Mercantile Credit Ltd, the principal agent for the National Insurance Corporation, before moving to Union Assurance PLC, where he rose to the rank of Assistant General Manager during a career spanning more than 27 years. Thereafter, he joined AIA Insurance Lanka as General Manager – Operations and subsequently rose to the position of Director – Operations during a tenure of over a decade.
Over the course of his career, Dr Senanayake has forged strong working relationships with leading global reinsurers including Munich Re, Hannover Re and Reinsurance Group of America (RGA). He has been actively involved for decades in developing and managing processes governing new business underwriting, policyholder servicing, claims, group life underwriting, product development, reinsurance, contact centres, customer experience and other critical operational areas, giving him a rare depth of both strategic and hands-on operational insight.
An alumnus of Ananda College, Colombo, Dr Senanayake holds a Diploma in Business Management from the Worldview Institute and an MBA from the University of Western Sydney, Australia. He was conferred with a Doctor of Business Administration by the London University of Peace in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the insurance industry. Having received professional insurance training in the UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, India and South Africa, he is also a respected trainer who has trained more than 20,000 insurance professionals during his career.
Ceylinco Life has been the market leader in Sri Lanka’s life insurance industry for 21 consecutive years, offering innovative insurance solutions that protect and de-risk the ambitions of policyholders. In 2025, the Company was ranked the most valuable insurance brand in Sri Lanka and the 22nd most valuable brand overall by Brand Finance. It was also voted the People’s Life Insurance Service Provider of the Year for the 19th consecutive year in 2025, reaffirming its status as the brand trusted by millions. The company has also been adjudged Sri Lanka’s Brand of the Year twice within the past five years, and has been recognised among the 10 Most Admired Companies in Sri Lanka by the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ICCSL) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
