From deal structure to due diligence
Titled "Demystifying Key Concepts to Successful Mergers and Acquisitions," the program will examine the stages of an M&A transaction and the decisions that shape its outcome. Topics include structuring deals, managing risk, creating value and addressing common transaction challenges.
Tax, legal and financial due diligence will receive particular attention. The organizers aim to provide practical guidance on evaluating transactions and making informed decisions, against a backdrop of growing emphasis on corporate consolidation, strategic restructuring and business growth.
The intended audience includes corporate executives and business leaders, finance and investment professionals, legal and tax practitioners, and others working on corporate transactions.
Recent transactions and the investment backdrop
Sri Lanka's recent deal activity includes the August 24, 2026, divestment of 10% of the shares in CT Holdings and 3% of those in its subsidiary Cargills (Ceylon). The transaction exceeded 15 billion rupees and was advised and executed by Asia Securities. EconomyNext reported it as the Colombo Stock Exchange's largest transaction for 2026.
Earlier that month, Hemas Holdings PLC completed its first international acquisition through subsidiary Atlas Axillia Company. Announced on August 17, 2026, the deal gave Hemas a 75% stake in Kenya's Twiga Stationers & Printers Limited for US$16.2 million, according to Daily Mirror.
The broader investment picture shows a gap between Sri Lanka's foreign direct investment and levels commonly seen in emerging economies. The U.S. Department of State's 2026 Sri Lanka Investment Climate Statement, published in September, reported 2025 FDI of US$1.06 billion, or approximately 1% of GDP, significantly below the typical emerging-economy range of 3% to 4%.
The same statement recorded stock market gains in 2025: the Colombo Stock Exchange's All Share Price Index increased 42%, while the S&P SL20 Index gained 27%. Market capitalization at year-end was also 42% higher than a year earlier.
Speakers and an earlier collaboration
A fireside chat will open the program. Ruvini Fernando, head of Strategy, Risk and Transactions at Deloitte Sri Lanka and Maldives, will host, joined by Lasanga Abeysuriya, valuation and modelling leader for Deloitte Sri Lanka and Maldives Strategy, Risk and Transaction Services. The program's panelists will also attend.
The facilitators include Charmaine Tillekeratne, partner and head of Tax at Deloitte Sri Lanka and Maldives, and Buddhi Pathiraja, associate director in Strategy, Risk and Transactions at Deloitte Sri Lanka.
Joining them are Dushyantha Perera, partner and head of Corporate and Commercial Law at Sudath Perera Associates, and Senaka Kakiriwaragodage, CFA, chief executive officer of NDB Capital Holdings Limited.
Tillekeratne and Perera also helped facilitate an earlier M&A course organized by CFA Society Sri Lanka and Deloitte Sri Lanka and Maldives. According to CFA Society Sri Lanka, that course, "From Concepts to Closing: Mergers & Acquisitions Essentials," took place on January 30, 2025, at the Taj Samudra in Colombo.
Registration details and further information about the November program are available through CFA Society Sri Lanka's website.
