Professor Malik Ranasinghe, Chairman, Sampath Bank (centre) conducting the AGM. Nanda Fernando, Managing Director, Sampath Bank, Ranil Pathirana and Rushanka Silva, Non-Executive Directors Lasantha Senaratne, Company Secretary Ajantha Gunasekara, Group Chief Finance Officer Dr. Arittha Wikramanayake, Precedent Partner, Nithya Partners and Sanath Fernando, Partner, Ernst & Young look on.
Moving away from convention, Sampath Bank PLC successfully hosted its 34th Annual General Meeting on a virtual platform, in a bid to ensure the health and safety of its shareholders while also staying in line with national efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
As such, the Bank’s AGM was livestreamed smoothly from its Head Office to shareholders without any disruptions, via the Zoom video communications app. This is yet another first from Sampath Bank which has a history of pioneering several ‘firsts’ to the country’s Banking Industry.
The Bank also leveraged technology to allow shareholders to interact with the proceedings and vote remotely via eBallot, a leading US-based online voting platform. The solution delivers instant results with secure access and tracked delivery, while maintaining complete confidentiality. At the meeting, the bank announced that it will pay a final dividend of Rs 11.75 per share, for the financial year 2019, a distribution of Rs. 4.5 billion. Dhara Wijayatilake was appointed as Deputy Chairperson of Sampath Bank by the Bank’s Board of Directors.
Expressing his views on holding the AGM online Nanda Fernando, the Managing Director of Sampath Bank PLC stated, “Innovation has always been at the very core of our operations and online solutions are fast becoming the new norm in today’s technologically advanced world. We are also proud that we were able to fulfill our obligations to our valued shareholders in a manner that facilitated their participation without compromising their safety. As we collectively continue our fight against the spread of COVID-19, we urge all industries to keep innovating and discovering new methods of operating that ensures both success and safety.”
Established in 1987, Sampath Bank has become a state-of-the-art financial institution that continues to be a market leader today thanks to its constant innovation and customer focused approach to business.
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