More than 200 top executives, senior policymakers and global partners gather in Colombo to turn economic recovery into long-term reform, investor confidence and sustainable growth.
With over 200 C-suite executives and policymakers gathering in Colombo, the high-level forum aims to translate recovery into lasting reform and economic stability.
Sri Lanka has emerged from one of the most severe economic crises in its modern history and continues to face turbulence following Cyclone Ditwa in December 2025. The question now is not whether recovery is possible, but how fast, how inclusive, and how durable it will be. On Wednesday, 25 February 2026, the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, AmCham Sri Lanka, will convene its flagship CEO Forum 2026, a full-day summit designed to convert high-level dialogue into practical strategy under the theme “Accelerating Sri Lanka’s Rebuild.”
The Forum will run from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. at the Oak Room, Cinnamon Grand Colombo, bringing together more than 200 C-level executives, senior government officials from Sri Lanka and the United States, development partners, and global thought leaders. Its scale reflects the magnitude of the national moment. Sri Lanka’s economic recovery requires coordinated action across government, private sector leadership, multilateral institutions, and international investors. The CEO Forum is structured to create precisely that alignment, strengthening public-private partnership and policy coherence.
The speaker lineup signals strong diplomatic and economic engagement. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Jayne Howell, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka; April Palmerlee, President of AmChams of Asia Pacific; and Carey Arun, Principal Commercial Officer at the U.S. Commercial Service. Victor Antonypillai, Senior Country Officer for IFC and the World Bank in Sri Lanka, will join as a panellist, reinforcing the development finance dimension of the conversation.
The programme will also feature senior Sri Lankan government representatives including Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, and Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development. Gregory Smith, Manager for Country Advisory and Economics in South Asia at the World Bank Group, will add further regional insight into macroeconomic stability, structural reform, and investment climate improvement.
Hatton National Bank serves as Title Partner for CEO Forum 2026. As one of Sri Lanka’s leading domestic banks, HNB’s involvement reflects private-sector confidence in the recovery narrative and in platforms that unite decision-makers to sustain economic reform, financial stability, and investor trust.
CEO Forum 2026 represents AmCham Sri Lanka’s ongoing commitment to strengthening U.S.–Sri Lanka trade relations, promoting transparency, regulatory reform, and a competitive business environment. At a time when economic resilience and growth strategy are central to national discourse, this summit aims to shape Sri Lanka’s next chapter.
