JD.

Advisory · Cards & Payments

Jayanath Dias

Cards · Payments · Digital Banking & Fintech

VisaMastercardUnionPayJCBLankaPay

Three decades building and scaling card, acquiring and digital-payment businesses across Sri Lanka, East Africa, the UAE and Qatar.

I help banks, fintechs and payment providers launch, fix and grow their payments businesses — from card P&L and merchant acquiring to scheme strategy — and prepare them for an AI-driven future.

How I Help

The Practice

01

Card Business Strategy & Setup

Issuing, acquiring and co-brand strategy, P&L design, product launch, and market-entry for new or under-performing card businesses.

02

Merchant Acquiring & Digital Payments

POS / MPOS / QR expansion, IPG and e-commerce enablement, UnionPay acquiring, and acceptance-ecosystem growth.

03

Scheme Negotiation, Risk & Compliance

Visa / Mastercard / UnionPay / JCB relationships and support programs, fraud and credit risk frameworks, and regulator-aligned card operations.

04

AI & Automation in Payments

Applying generative and agentic AI to card operations, service and strategy — identifying where automation creates real efficiency and edge.

Selected Results

Outcomes that moved P&Ls — and markets.

~3×

State bank credit-card portfolio growth

Scaled portfolio from LKR 3.6 Bn to 10.8 Bn — and merchant turnover ~6× (LKR 13.9 Bn → 82.6 Bn) in four years.

First

Sri Lanka's first no-frills premium card

Launched a product that created an entirely new market segment in the local industry.

+300%

Tanzania offshore turnaround

Lifted acquiring volume by 300% and improved ATM uptime from 78% to 88%.

~LKR 7Bn

Scheme marketing-support program

Negotiated a multi-year scheme program; led the LankaPay-UnionPay co-badged national card launch.

Clients

  • Banks
  • Fintechs
  • Payment processors & vendors
  • Card schemes
  • Development institutions

Geographies

  • Sri Lanka & South Asia
  • East Africa
  • Middle East & the Gulf
  • Open to short overseas assignments

Languages

  • English
  • Sinhala
  • Swahili (working)
  • Arabic (basic)

Standing & Credentials

A career in the room where payments policy is made.

  • 01

    AGM — Cards, People's Bank Sri Lanka

    35+ years in cards & payments, currently leading the cards business at one of Sri Lanka's largest state banks.

  • 02

    Former Chairman, PCIASL

    Payment Card Industry Association of Sri Lanka — industry leadership across issuers, acquirers and processors.

  • 03

    Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Fintech & Blockchain Committee; co-drafted the national Card Operations Guidelines.

  • 04

    MBA · PIM, Sri Jayewardenepura

    Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing — CIM, United Kingdom.

Engagement

Assignment-based advisory — remote or on-site.

Diagnostics, project work, and ongoing advisory retainers. Available for short overseas engagements at need.

Email

jayanathd2@gmail.com

Mobile

+94 766 618 174

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/jayanathdias

Based In

Pamunugama, Sri Lanka