Dr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya, the founder and visionary leader of the SANASA Movement in Sri Lanka, has made an enormous contribution to the field of microfinance and microcredit in Asia. His commitment and dedication are legendary within the Asian Region. Currently, he serves as the chairman of Sanasa the SANASA Federation which is the APEX body of the SANASA Movement and also holds director positions of several SANASA institutions.
He began his professional career as a teacher after having obtained a Social Science Degree from Vidyodaya University and subsequently worked as the Director of Education at Sarvodaya Movement and Deputy Director of the National Heritage Programme. He is a renowned professional who held several key positions as the Chairman, Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU), Vice Chair of Asia and Oceania Association (AOA) of International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation, Director, People’s Bank, Regional Development Bank, Sri Lanka and President, National Institute of Cooperative Management and National Cooperative Council of Sri Lanka.
In recognition of his leadership qualities, Dr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya was appointed as the Chairman of the People’s Bank, and as an advisor to the President on microfinance. His knowledge and experience span the entirety of the continents, including all of South Asia and several African countries as well as the U.S., Japan and Europe.
1978 was a milestone year for Dr. Kiriwandeniya as he founded the SANASA Movement. Over the years, the movement continued to grow under his leadership. His vision and his pragmatic leadership qualities resulted in the creation of SANASA Development Bank Ltd., Federation of Thrift & Credit Cooperative Societies Ltd., SANASA Education Campus, SANASA Insurance Company Ltd., SANANSA Engineering and Development Co. Ltd. (SEDCO) and SANASA Consumer Producer Alliance Ltd. (SANEEPA).
