John Keells Group senior management members Krishan Balendra and Gihan Cooray have been appointed as Executive Directors of the group parent John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) with effect from November 5, 2016. This is in line with the plans of succession to the current Executive Directors who will retire in 2017 and 2018. Balendra, currently the group's Leisure Industry President and the Chairman of Nations Trust Bank PLC. He joined the group in 2002 as Head of Corporate Finance, and had also served as President of the Retail Sector in the Consumer Foods Industry Group. He is a former Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, and has had stints at UBS Warburg, Hong Kong in investment banking and Aitken Spence Sri Lanka in Corporate Finance. Cooray, is currently the Retail Sector President, and is also responsible for the Corporate Finance/strategy and Group Treasury functions at John Keells Capital and John Keells Research. He is also a Director at Nations Trust Bank PLC.