At a time when insurance is being reshaped by technology, changing customer expectations and emerging risks, sustainable leadership requires both ambition and discipline.

Ms Jeevani Kariyawasam, Chief Executive Officer of People’s Insurance PLC, outlines a strategic vision centred on resilience, responsible growth, customer centricity and organisational excellence. Her approach places equal emphasis on financial stewardship and empowering people, recognising that lasting performance depends on strong governance, capable teams and a shared sense of purpose.

As the industry evolves, Kariyawasam explains how People’s Insurance is strengthening its foundations while embracing innovation to build trust, expand protection and create enduring value for stakeholders.

1. Leadership and Strategic Direction

Q: How have you sought to position People’s Insurance for sustainable growth in an evolving and increasingly competitive insurance industry, and what leadership principles have guided the Company’s strategic direction?

Response: My focus has been on building a resilient, future-ready organisation capable of delivering profitable and sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Our strategic priorities have centred on customer-centricity, operational excellence, prudent risk management, digital transformation, and strengthening our people and organisational capabilities. As insurance is fundamentally built on trust, we remain committed to disciplined underwriting, sound financial stewardship, portfolio quality, and responsible innovation while pursuing new opportunities for growth.

My leadership philosophy is grounded in integrity, accountability, collaboration, and empowerment. I believe effective leadership is about fostering transparency and strong governance, creating clarity of purpose, enabling individuals to take ownership, and bringing diverse talents together to achieve a shared vision and sustainable success.

2. Building a High-Performance Organisation Through People

Q: Strong organisations are built around strong and engaged people. As CEO, what is your approach to developing human capital, strengthening employee capabilities and creating a high-performance culture? How do you believe effective leadership and employee empowerment contribute to the Company’s overall performance and long-term success?

Response: Our people are the foundation of our success. In an industry where expertise, trust, and customer relationships are critical, organisational performance is closely linked to the capabilities, commitment, and engagement of our employees.

We place significant emphasis on continuous learning, professional development, succession planning, and leadership cultivation. Equally important is creating an environment where employees are empowered to take ownership, contribute ideas, and make informed decisions within their areas of responsibility.

I believe a high-performance culture is built on a balance of accountability, trust, and support. People perform at their best when expectations are clear, opportunities for growth are available, and their contributions are recognised and valued.

The resilience and dedication of our employees have been instrumental in our progress. Our goal is not only to develop a highly capable workforce but also to nurture a culture united by shared purpose, collaboration, and excellence. Building a future-ready talent base will remain a strategic priority.

3. Sustainable Growth and Business Performance

Q: People’s Insurance has demonstrated strong business performance while maintaining disciplined underwriting and sound risk management. How do you balance growth ambitions with financial discipline, responsible risk management and the need to create sustainable long-term value for policyholders, employees and other stakeholders?

Response: For us, sustainable growth means expanding the business without compromising its quality, resilience, or long-term viability. In the first half of 2026, People’s Insurance recorded 39% growth in Gross Written Premium, significantly outperforming industry growth while maintaining a disciplined approach to underwriting and portfolio management.

We ensure that growth is supported by sound pricing, prudent risk selection, effective reinsurance arrangements, and robust loss-ratio management. Our objective is not growth at any cost, but profitable and sustainable growth that creates enduring value for policyholders, employees, shareholders, and all stakeholders.

Despite weather-related claims and a challenging interest-rate environment, we maintained financial strength while continuing to invest in technology, infrastructure, and future capabilities. A strong balance sheet enables us to honour our commitments to policyholders, deliver sustainable returns to shareholders, and invest confidently in the future.

Ultimately, sustainable performance is about creating long-term stakeholder value while ensuring that today’s growth strengthens the resilience and competitiveness of the business for years to come.

4. Customer-Centricity and Innovation

Q: How is People’s Insurance transforming the insurance experience through service innovation and digitalisation as customer expectations and risks continue to evolve? How are you identifying emerging protection needs and ensuring that the Company remains relevant to individuals and businesses across Sri Lanka?

Response: Customer expectations are evolving rapidly, and insurance must become simpler, faster, and more responsive than ever before. Our focus has therefore been on leveraging technology, service innovation, and process optimisation to enhance the overall customer experience.

Initiatives such as Call & Go reduce inconvenience during the claims process by eliminating the need for customers to wait for an assessing officer, while workflow digitisation and real-time inspection capabilities improve responsiveness, efficiency, and decision-making. We have also begun leveraging AI-powered customer engagement solutions as part of our broader digital transformation journey.

At the same time, we continuously monitor changing customer needs and emerging risks to develop solutions that remain relevant to individuals and businesses across Sri Lanka. Our Customer Satisfaction Index of 89% and Net Promoter Score of 43 reflect the impact of this customer-centric approach. We remain committed to making insurance more accessible, convenient, and relevant to the communities and businesses we serve.

5. Recognition, Brand Strength and Organisational Excellence

Q: People’s Insurance has received recognition across both local and international platforms, including being named Best General Insurance Company 2026 for the third consecutive year by Global Economics, as well as Best General Insurance Company of the Year at the 6th Emerging Asia Insurance Awards 2026. What do these achievements and recognitions mean to you as CEO, and how do you believe they reflect the Company’s progress, its people and the strength of the brand?

Response: These achievements are a testament to the collective effort, commitment, and professionalism of our people across the organisation. They recognise not only our financial performance but also our dedication to operational excellence, customer service, innovation, and responsible risk management.

For me, the greatest significance lies in the people behind these accomplishments. Every award and recognition reflects the contribution of employees across the organisation who work tirelessly to execute our strategy and create value for our customers and stakeholders.

These accolades also reinforce our responsibility to uphold the standards that earned them. We view recognition not as a destination, but as encouragement to continue raising the bar, driving continuous improvement, and strengthening confidence in the People’s Insurance brand both locally and internationally.

6. Vision for the Future

Q: The insurance industry is entering a period of significant transformation, driven by technology, changing customer expectations, evolving business models and regulatory developments. What is your vision for the future of People’s Insurance, and what would you like the Company to be recognised for in the years ahead?

Response: Our ambition is to build a modern, resilient, and future-ready insurer that combines strong financial fundamentals with innovation, technology, and deep customer insight.

We will continue to pursue disciplined growth while strengthening capital resilience, underwriting profitability, digital capabilities, and our people. We also recognise the importance of responsible business practices and remain committed to enhancing our ESG and CSR initiatives, creating meaningful and lasting value for our communities and wider society.

Beyond business growth, insurers have a critical role to play in strengthening financial resilience. Sri Lanka continues to have significant potential to expand insurance awareness and protection, particularly among underserved communities and businesses. We are committed to helping bridge this protection gap by making insurance more accessible and promoting greater understanding of the value of risk management.

Ultimately, I would like People’s Insurance to be recognised not only for strong performance and industry leadership, but also for trust, resilience, innovation, and the positive impact we make on the lives, livelihoods, and businesses we protect.