NDB Wealth successfully hosted its Family Office Forum 2026 — Colombo Edition at Cinnamon Life, bringing together ultra-high-net-worth individuals, founders of family-owned businesses, senior family office executives, and global practitioners for a high-impact afternoon of dialogue on the future of private wealth.

The forum featured four keynote addresses and three expert-led panel discussions, drawing industry leaders from across the world to explore the pivotal themes shaping today's economic landscape. Conversations spanned across global macroeconomic trends, geopolitics and their investment implications, deep tech and disruptive innovation, strategic capital deployment, family office governance, and legacy planning — equipping attendees with actionable perspectives for navigating an increasingly complex wealth environment.

The forum was opened by Mr. Senaka Kakiriwaragodage, CEO and Director of NDB Capital Holdings Limited, who welcomed attendees with remarks that set a compelling tone for the day. He spoke about the growing importance of bringing global expertise and perspectives to Sri Lanka, observing that the country's wealth management landscape is undergoing a period of rapid evolution. In that context, he positioned platforms such as this forum as meaningful catalysts for progress — and expressed NDB Wealth's pride in playing a leading role in shaping that journey.

The opening keynote was delivered by Professor Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, who spoke on "Building Tomorrow's Deep Tech Innovation." Drawing on his work across healthcare, neuroscience, and advanced engineering, he made a compelling case for why deep tech is not merely a sectoral theme but a structural force reshaping global economies.

A central thread of his address was the imperative for long-term capital providers, family offices in particular to engage early within innovation-led ecosystems, rather than waiting for risk to be priced in. Professor Sivaprakasam closed with a reaffirming that family offices are no longer peripheral to the innovation economy and they are now becoming its structural pillars, increasingly determining not just how much capital flows into deep tech, but how fast and in which direction.

A highlight of the forum was the Panel Discussion on Global Economic Outlook & Navigating the Geopolitical Landscape. Mr. Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Research at Maybank Securities (Singapore), examined the key forces shaping global capital flows in 2026, from shifting interest rate cycles to heightened geopolitical uncertainty and identified ASEAN region, India, and China as the principal destinations attracting capital today. He outlined how Sri Lanka could strategically position itself to capture a meaningful share of these flows.

Brendon Wong, Managing Director – Private Wealth at UOB Kay Hian (Hong Kong), offered a compelling parallel: just as Hong Kong has long served as a gateway corridor for capital into China, Sri Lanka is well-placed to play an analogous role in relation to India a perspective that resonated strongly with the audience.

Representing NDB Wealth's investment team, Vice Presidents Daham Hettiarachchi and Amaya Nagodavithana addressed the tactical dimensions of portfolio management in the current environment, covering asset allocation shifts, currency risk considerations, and the critical importance of maintaining liquidity discipline and managing investor behaviour through periods of heightened volatility. Their remarks underscored the value of a structured, diversified approach spanning fixed income, equities, and alternative assets. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Ruwan Perera, CEO of NDB Wealth.

Prior to the second panel, Dr. Harinda Vidanage delivered a keynote address titled "Middle East Conflict Escalation & Global Implications." Drawing on a rigorous strategic assessment of current geopolitical tensions, he examined the cascading effects on global markets and made a compelling case for embedding geopolitical risk as a core consideration within long-term investment frameworks.

The second panel turned the spotlight on private markets, infrastructure, and energy transition — bringing together a distinguished group of practitioners. The panel featured Mr. Ramen Ray Mandal, CEO of Greenback Capital Limited; Mr. Harshana Jayaweera, CEO of NDB Investment Bank; Mr. Sam Manipadam, an expert in Ports, Free Zones, Logistics & Capital Governance; and Mr. Naresh Govindan, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Jupiter Energy Ventures. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Savinda Fernando, Vice President at NDB Investment Bank.

The panellists explored how family offices are increasingly looking to infrastructure as a source of long-term stability — while remaining mindful of the risks inherent to this asset class. The conversation highlighted the breadth of the infrastructure universe, spanning communication assets such as mobile towers and satellites, utilities including water and waste management, and transportation networks encompassing airports, ports, and toll roads — all alongside the imperatives of sustainable energy transition.

A key theme to emerge was the importance of structuring investments with well-defined exit pathways — a discipline the panellists identified as especially critical when deploying capital in emerging markets.

Sunil Jose, Managing Director of Kernel Multi Family Office (Dubai, UAE), delivered the keynote on "Family Office Structures and Governance: Building Enduring Wealth Across Generations." Stronger governance and stronger bonds for business-owning families is vital for managing both risk and relationships as family enterprises grow more complex. Large majority of business-owning families identify internal conflict among the top three risks which is nearly double the rate of their non-business owning peers. He underscored that sound structuring, and disciplined processes form the bedrock of lasting wealth preservation. A thoughtfully designed family office, he noted, ensures continuity, control, and alignment — while embedding best-in-class operational and management practices. Ultimately, a well-structured family office serves as a powerful vehicle for preserving and growing wealth across generations.

Sunil also spoke about the delicate balance between tradition and innovation, emphasising the value of humility, open communication, and the courage to introduce fresh thinking into a family enterprise — without losing sight of its founding values. He concluded that true, multigenerational wealth creation goes well beyond financial accumulation; it demands intentional stewardship, education of heirs, regular family dialogue, and a long-term strategic mindset.

Arnis Celitāns delivered a keynote address on "Unlocking European Markets: Investment Opportunities and Strategic Partnerships," offering a compelling case for Europe as a strategic allocation destination. Drawing on Latvia's unique position as a gateway into the European Union, he outlined how Sri Lankan businesses and family offices could access European trade partnerships and capital markets — and made a persuasive argument for Europe as a meaningful diversification.

The final sessions explored the evolution of family offices, with a particular emphasis on governance, structuring, and intergenerational wealth transfer. The panel brought together Mr. Sunil Jose, Managing Director of Kernel Multi Family Office (Dubai, UAE); Mr. R. Narayanamohan, Founder of NS Global Consultants Pte Ltd (Singapore); Ms. Tanuja Nair, Director of Moorebay Capital Limited (Mauritius); Mr. Haruhito Imakoji, Co-Founder & CEO of Salzworth Asset Management Pte Ltd (Singapore); and Mr. Abhishek Gujadhur, Managing Director of SpearFin Ltd (Mauritius) — moderated by Ms. Preetha S. Kumar, Project Director of Bo Fric Group.

As families grow across generations, maintaining a shared vision and unifying principles becomes a greater challenge. Mr. Sunil Jose emphasised the value of active engagement across three critical dimensions: investment oversight, family cohesion, and family office decision-making, noting that disengagement in any one area can undermine the others.

Mr. Narayanamohan underscored the foundational importance of robust governance structures - investment committees, investment policy statements, and boards of directors as essential pillars for long-term family office resilience.

Mr. Haruhito observed that successful families tend to anchor themselves around three core elements: establishing a common mission and vision, investing in family development, and fostering individual growth within that collective framework.

Mrs. Tanuja highlighted that in families with operating businesses, governance serves a dual purpose protecting not only the enterprise itself, but the broader family franchise and the relationships that sustain it.

Mr. Abhishek stressed the importance of a clear decision-making framework that addresses administration, distributions, leverage levels, and investment performance metrics — ensuring families remain aligned with their long-term priorities rather than reactive to short-term pressures.

As Sri Lanka's largest asset manager with over LKR 340 billion in assets under management , NDB Wealth continues to play a defining role in shaping the country's wealth management landscape. The forum served a purpose that extended well beyond its sessions: to build awareness around succession planning and the intergenerational transfer of wealth, and to introduce the family office model as a structured, institutional response to preserving, growing, and transitioning wealth across an increasingly complex global environment.

Succession planning and next-generation engagement have emerged as key priorities for family offices and understandably so. Families that have spent a lifetime carefully building their wealth naturally want to ensure it endures. This has placed growing emphasis on education, stewardship, and preparing future leaders to manage wealth responsibly. As wealth transitions across generations, philanthropy is increasingly becoming an integral part of family office structures, giving rise to a more strategic and professional approach to giving.

To close the day, Ruwan Perera, CEO of NDB Wealth, delivered the vote of thanks, expressing heartfelt appreciation to the panelists, speakers, and participants whose contributions made the forum a truly meaningful platform for knowledge exchange and engagement. He underscored NDB Wealth's core purpose: to help clients not merely protect their wealth from market volatility and external shocks, but to build a resilient, enduring legacy - one defined by both financial strength and lasting purpose.

Through this forum, NDB Wealth reaffirmed its commitment to delivering forward-looking insights and advisory-led solutions, supporting clients not only in growing their wealth, but in preserving and transitioning it across generations.

NDB Wealth Management Limited is a subsidiary of NDB Capital Holdings, one of Sri Lanka's fastest-growing financial services conglomerates, with a strategic mission to lead the nation's financial services sector. Since its inception, the Group, comprising NDB Wealth, NDB Investment Bank, NDB Securities, and NDB Zephyr Partners Limited has been a catalyst in Sri Lanka's economic development, empowering entrepreneurs, corporates, and individuals across all strata of society. Clients of each Group company benefit from the full breadth of products and services offered across its affiliates.