Gayan Fernando – Senior Manager – Marketing & Corporate Communication, SDB bank (Sri Lanka) Insights on Leadership Driving Customer Engagement

SDB Bank’s Gayan Fernando joins 15th Global Customer Engagement Awards Jury Panel, emphasizing leadership’s role in evaluating scalable strategies from diverse global markets.

Why is customer engagement now a leadership responsibility rather than a marketing function?

In an evolving customer landscape, positive customer engagement will create a long-term relationship with the customer and help convert them into loyal customers and advocates. The most important aspect is that when the leadership team engages with the customer in a more relationship-driven manner, it reflects the organisation’s holistic, customer-driven culture and cascades a message to the rest of the staff.

What excites you most about being part of the Global Customer Engagement Awards jury?

The excitement comes with a great level of responsibility. The opportunity to understand and evaluate the scalability of the award entries, the strategies that brands have used, and, most importantly, the decision-making process in different countries makes me more excited.

Gayan, joins an eminent panel of jury members from India, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Italy, Thailand, and the USA, bringing together diverse global perspectives to evaluate outstanding work based on innovation, creativity, effectiveness, and measurable impact.

Gayan Fernando is an accomplished marketing and corporate communication leader with deep experience in driving brand visibility, customer engagement, and strategic communications across competitive financial services landscapes. In his role as Senior Manager – Marketing & Corporate Communication at SDB Bank in Sri Lanka, Gayan has been instrumental in shaping initiatives that connect brand purpose with customer expectations, leveraging both traditional and digital channels to amplify impact.

Across his career, Gayan has demonstrated a strong commitment to building customer-centric communication strategies that resonate with diverse audiences and foster long-term engagement. His approach blends creative storytelling with data-informed insights, ensuring that campaigns are not only visible but also meaningful and measurable.

About the Global Customer Engagement Awards :

The 15th edition of the Global Customer Engagement Awards will be held on 30th April in Mumbai, recognising excellence in customer engagement across Television, Print, Radio, Mobile, Social Media, Cinema, OOH, PR, and emerging digital platforms. The Awards celebrate organisations and agencies that are creating meaningful, measurable, and future-ready customer experiences.

Brands and agencies are invited to showcase their best work and have it evaluated by industry leaders who understand the evolving realities of customer experience and engagement.