Kasun  Perera, Head of Acceptance – FriMi Digital Bank

Kasun Perera

Head of Acceptance – FriMi Digital Bank

Nations Trust Bank PLC

Location
Sri Lanka - Colombo 7
Education
Master's degree, Marketing
Experience
17 years, 4 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :17 years, 4 Months

Head of Acceptance – FriMi Digital Bank at Nations Trust Bank PLC
  • Sri Lanka - Colombo 2
  • My current job since August 2016

• Served as a core member of the management team for FriMi, Sri Lanka's first fintech startup, where I played a pivotal role in designing, developing, and implementing a comprehensive digital banking and payment ecosystem. Utilized my expertise and experience to drive the successful launch and growth of this groundbreaking initiative, positioning the company as a leader in digital finance in the region

• Successfully partnered with Mastercard to launch Sri Lanka's first digital wallet card and the country's first vertical debit product. Through my effective partnership building and market insight, I was able to drive the successful implementation of these groundbreaking initiatives

• Oversaw the comprehensive development and management of FriMi's payment acceptance product, covering all aspects from system design to business strategy and plan execution. Led the creation of a user-friendly interface and user experience, ensuring that the product met the evolving needs of customers and driving business success.

• Developing and expanding partnerships with business corporates enhance digital payment acceptance in the market

• Collaborated with leading card providers including American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Diners Club, Ali Pay, China UnionPay (CUP), and WeChat to evaluate new opportunities for product improvement and drive business growth

• Managing the FriMi virtual and physical card product team to design, develop and to launch the MasterCard debit products to the market.

• Proactively monitored and analyzed both qualitative and quantitative information sources and data to develop tailored strategies and solutions for specific industries. By leveraging this insight, I was able to identify key opportunities to differentiate the company from competitors, delivering customer-centric solutions that meet the unique needs of each industry and drive business growth

Senior Manager – Merchant Strategy and Relationship at Nations Trust Bank PLC
  • Sri Lanka - Colombo 2
  • My current job since January 2022

• Boosted monthly card spend to 5.6BN LKR and achieved an annual spend of 50.7BN LKR in 2022 through strategic campaigns targeting high-spend segments for both credit and debit products. Innovatively piloted activation campaigns for inactive segments, leading to a notable increase in overall card business performance

• Collaborated with leading card schemas including American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Diners Club, and Discovery to expand the card business portfolio and drive growth. By leveraging strong partnerships. Ongoing projects with card schemas

o American Express - Enabling digital payment capacities in payment wallets
o Master - Partnering with Samsung and Daraz to launch a co-branded credit product
o Visa - To launch a virtual and physical card focusing teen segment
o Dinners Club - Card issuance on 3rd 2023 3Q
o Discovery - Enable contactless acceptance for off us spend

• Oversaw the strategic direction of the bank's comprehensive cards, digital, and retail payment platform, ensuring alignment with overall business goals and delivering exceptional customer experiences. By effectively managing this critical area, I was able to drive growth, increase efficiency, and enhance the overall competitiveness of the bank

o QR - Dynamic / Static
o Cards - Virtual / NFC / Contactless Project
o Mobile / Digital Banking - Payment Platforms
o E commerce - MPGS Platform
o LANKAQR - National QR Payment Platform
o JustPay - National Interbank Payment Platform
o SL Remit - National Digital Remittance Platform

• Maintaining and responsible for the key partners that’s drive, support and regulating the and payment business of the bank
o Central Bank of Sri Lanka
o Lanka Clear
o RDA - Road Development Authority
o National Water Supplier and Drainage Board
o Ceylon Electricity Board
o Local Municipal Council
o National Payment Council ect.

• Leading the bank's issuing and acquiring lean projects, with a focus on optimizing digital payment platforms to enhance customer and merchant experiences. Conducted extensive reviews and developed innovative solutions, leveraging low-cost technologies to drive growth and achieve business objectives. Through my leadership and technical expertise, I was able to deliver exceptional results and establish the bank as a leader in digital payment innovation.

Assistant Manager – Cards Marketing at Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC
  • Sri Lanka - Colombo 3
  • September 2014 to August 2016

• As the lead for the card products and portfolios, I was responsible for the conceptualization, planning, execution, and management of all related activities and promotions. I successfully executed a wide range of marketing and promotional initiatives, driving awareness and engagement among customers, and contributing to the overall success of the card business. Through my leadership and organizational skills, I was able to effectively manage complex projects and ensure that they were delivered on-time and within budget.

• Collaborated with key partners including Visa, Mastercard, and payment aggregators to assess new business opportunities, enhance product functionality, and drive growth for the card business. By working closely with these partners, I was able to gain valuable insights into the latest industry trends and advancements, and make informed decisions that positively impacted the card business

o Visa - Relaunched the debt product to gain higher interchange income the drive POS spend
o MasterCard - Implemented IPP (Installment Payment Plan) / Easy Balance Transfer
o Global Payments - Partnered to drive Bank’s merchant drive and card spend

• Built strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to design, plan, negotiate, and launch card offers, ensuring seamless execution of new card products. Built strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to design, plan, negotiate, and launch card offers, ensuring seamless execution of new card products

• Managed the overall P&L for the card product and the key product/marketing drivers related to card issuing, new card acquisition and sales growth, portfolio management, and market share. I monitored financial metrics to ensure that the card business was operating efficiently and effectively and made data-driven decisions to drive growth and profitability. My strong understanding of the card industry and ability to analyze key performance indicators allowed me to identify areas of opportunity and implement strategic initiatives to drive positive results

Assistant Manager – Cards Risk at Nations Trust Bank PLC
  • Sri Lanka - Colombo 2
  • October 2012 to September 2014

• Prevented, eliminated, managed, and investigated risks related to the card issuing and acquiring business. I established and implemented risk management procedures to ensure that the card business was operating within established risk parameters. I monitored the card business to identify and assess potential risks and developed and implemented mitigation strategies to minimize risk exposure. Through my risk management skills, I was able to maintain a secure and stable card environment and protect the interests of the bank and its customers

• Monitored the latest fraud trends, analyzed previous data, and created, edited, and implemented fraud post- and pre-auth parameters to prevent fraud losses. I collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to develop and implement effective fraud detection and prevention strategies, and monitored the card business for potential fraud activity

• Continuously calculated productivity of the existing fraud parameters to eliminate nonproductive ones and to amend remaining ones to enhance staff efficiencies and transaction approval ratios

• Coordinated with higher law enforcement to conduct internal and external fraud investigations related to card business

• Conducted training sections for internal parties to share knowledge and to operate best practices to minimize and mitigate payment related risks

Senior Officer – Merchant Acquiring and Relationship at The American Express Card Center - Nations Trust Bank PLC
  • Sri Lanka - Colombo 2
  • April 2007 to September 2014

• Onboarded new merchants for American Express and maintain engagement and relationship to dive activation and spend

• As a member of the card spend drive project team, I was responsible for the design, implementation, and execution of marketing campaigns targeted at ESP (Extended Settlement Plans), IPP (Installment Payment Plans), and ABS (Automated Bill Settlement) customers. I collaborated with cross-functional teams to create strategies that would effectively reach these customers and increase their spending on the bank's card products. I also monitored and analyzed the results of these campaigns, adjusting and optimizations as needed to improve their effectiveness

• Piloted the inactive merchant campaigned to enhance the activation ratios to enhance the merchant spend portfolio

• Prepared Business / Development Plan to achieve the merchant business budget - New onboarding / activation / inactive / spend

Senior Business Development Officer at The American Express Card Center - Nations Trust Bank PLC
  • Sri Lanka - Colombo 7
  • January 2007 to April 2014

• As a member for the premier/professional market segment, I was tasked with acquiring new customers for American Express cards. This involved developing and implementing targeted marketing campaigns and leveraging my relationships with key stakeholders to drive customer acquisition. As the manager for the premier/professional market segment, I was tasked with acquiring new customers for American Express cards. This involved developing and implementing targeted marketing campaigns and leveraging my relationships with key stakeholders to drive customer acquisition

Education

Master's degree, Marketing
  • at University of Bedfordshire
  • February 2020

Specialties & Skills

Risk Control
Product Development
Bank Relations
Merchant Services
Payments
MARKETING
QUARK XPRESS
BUDGETING
DRIVING
BANKING
BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
BUSINESS STRATEGY

Social Profiles

Personal Website
Personal Website

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Memberships

PCIASL - Payment Card Industry Association of Sri Lanka
  • Head of sub committee
  • April 2014