The Council for Business with Britain (CBB) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has appointed Ms. Ameena Ziauddin, Managing Director of Norfolk Foods, as its President for the 2026–2027 term, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening trade, investment and commercial ties between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

The appointment was announced at the Council's 26th Annual General Meeting held at Westminster House in Colombo, attended by members and key stakeholders representing the Sri Lanka–UK business community.

Mr. Shiluka Goonewardene, Principal and Head of Deal Advisory at KPMG Sri Lanka, was elected Senior Vice President, while Mr. Fadhil Jiffry, Chief Financial Officer of LSEG, was appointed Vice President. Ms. Krystle Reid Wijesuriya, Chief Executive Officer of We Are Team Rocket, was elected Treasurer. Immediate Past President Mr. Mark Surgenor, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka, will continue to serve on the Council's Committee.

The newly elected Committee for 2026–2027 comprises representatives from Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd, GTN Technologies (Pvt) Ltd, Hayleys PLC, Hilton Colombo Residences, John Keells Holdings PLC, MAS Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Ocean Pick (Pvt) Ltd, Point to Point Consulting, Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd and Wilton Metal Box Company (Pvt) Ltd.

The Council also appointed several distinguished members to its Committee by invitation, including Ms. Asanthi Fernando, Head of Trade & Investment at the British High Commission; Mr. Sanath Manatunge, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC; Ms. Hannah Wells, Principal of The British School in Colombo; and Mr. Orlando Edwards, Country Director of the British Council Sri Lanka. Mr. Shirendra Lawrence, Ms. Roshanie Moraes and Ms. Tania Polonnowita were appointed to the Advisory Committee to provide strategic guidance and continuity.

Addressing the gathering, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka His Excellency Andrew Patrick commended the Council's efforts in advancing bilateral business relations and praised Sri Lankan businesses for their resilience, adaptability and innovation. He also welcomed the growth in British tourist arrivals and recent improvements in aviation connectivity, noting that these developments would further enhance trade and commercial engagement between the two countries.

Highlighting the United Kingdom's continued support for Sri Lanka's economic recovery, the High Commissioner underscored the importance of the UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which offers Sri Lankan exporters duty-free access to the UK market. He said reforms introduced in January 2026 have significantly expanded preferential market access for Sri Lanka's apparel sector, improving the competitiveness of its exports, and encouraged local businesses to fully utilise the scheme to diversify exports and strengthen bilateral trade.

Delivering his farewell address, outgoing President Mark Surgenor reflected on a year of steady progress, pointing to the expansion of bilateral trade under the DCTS and the Council's initiatives to strengthen business engagement. Among the key achievements during his tenure was the establishment of the Council's dedicated Next Generation and SME platform, designed to engage young professionals, entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders. He also highlighted a series of economic briefings, networking events and collaborative programmes conducted with public and private sector stakeholders.

In her inaugural address, President Ameena Ziauddin pledged to further strengthen the Council's role as a catalyst for business collaboration between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. She highlighted the success of the NextGen Committee—the first initiative of its kind under a business council in Sri Lanka—which has created valuable opportunities for young professionals and entrepreneurs to connect with the wider business community while helping develop the country's next generation of business leaders.