Union Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Shaheeda Barrie as an Independent Non-Executive Director to the Board of Directors.

Ms. Barrie brings over 25 years of distinguished legal and regulatory experience, with expertise in public law, financial regulation, banking and finance, capital markets, and complex commercial litigation and arbitration. She served for 22 years at the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka, rising to the position of Deputy Solicitor General, where she advised and represented the Government of Sri Lanka, financial regulators, state-owned enterprises, and public institutions on high-value and high-impact matters.

She played a key role in legislative drafting and financial sector reform, including important legislation relating to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, public debt and capital markets, and the Colombo Port City. Her career also includes service as Legal Advisor to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Legal Consultant to the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as a member of the Company Law Advisory Commission of Sri Lanka.

Following her retirement from public service, Ms. Barrie heads her own legal chambers and continues to advise on complex litigation, arbitration, regulatory matters, and legislative reform, including consultancy work with multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID, and the International Finance Corporation. She currently serves as a Director of the Personal Data Protection Authority of Sri Lanka.

Ms. Barrie is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and a Barrister-at-Law of England and Wales (Gray’s Inn), and holds advanced legal qualifications from the London School of Economics, the University of Oxford, and the American University, Washington College of Law. Union Bank welcomes Ms. Barrie and looks forward to her valuable contribution to the Board and the Bank’s continued growth and strong governance.

Union Bank of Colombo PLC
Media Release
20 April 2026, Colombo Sri Lanka