A First for Sri Lanka: Mark Surgenor Wins the British Chambers of Commerce International President’s Award 2026 in London
Mark Surgenor receives the BCC International President’s Award 2026 at the Chamber Awards gala. Photograph: Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
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Mark Surgenor has won the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) International President’s Award 2026, marking the first time Sri Lanka has received the award. The recognition celebrates his work modernising the Council for Business with Britain (CBB) during his 2023–2025 presidency and strengthening connections between business communities in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
Surgenor, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives, was selected from a network of more than 75 British Chambers of Commerce and Business Councils worldwide. The award was presented in London at the annual Chamber Awards gala.
The milestone brings international recognition to Sri Lanka’s business community and highlights the contribution of chambers and councils that build practical links between companies, institutions and markets.
A first for Sri Lanka at the BCC Chamber Awards
The BCC International President’s Award recognises leadership and contribution across the organisation’s international network. For Sri Lanka, this year’s result is a historic first: no Sri Lankan representative had previously received the award.
The recognition also reflects the work of the CBB, which promotes commercial connections between the UK and Sri Lanka. Operating under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the council provides a platform for businesses and institutions interested in bilateral trade and investment.
Surgenor’s award was presented in London at the annual Chamber Awards gala. His selection from a network of more than 75 chambers and business councils places the recognition within a broad international business community, while its significance for Sri Lanka is especially clear.
Concept image: an illustrative view of UK–Sri Lanka business connections; not a photograph of the event.
Modernising the Council for Business with Britain
During his two-year presidency, from 2023 to 2025, Surgenor worked to modernise the CBB and strengthen its value to member organisations. The council hosted high-impact forums and engaged more than 200 member organisations, creating opportunities for participants to exchange knowledge and build professional connections.
Chambers and business councils can help organisations navigate relationships across markets. They bring businesses, public bodies and sector representatives together, helping members identify shared interests and understand opportunities for collaboration. The CBB’s programme under Surgenor’s leadership placed renewed emphasis on those practical connections.
The work also involved strengthening partnerships with the British High Commission, the UK Department for Business and Trade, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and peer councils. Such relationships connect business networks with institutions that support trade, investment and international engagement.
These partnerships are important to the council’s role, but the award should not be read as an announcement of any specific new trade agreement. Rather, it recognises leadership in building the platforms and relationships through which businesses can meet, exchange ideas and explore potential opportunities.
CBB NextGen brings younger leaders into the conversation
One of the initiatives launched during Surgenor’s presidency was CBB NextGen, a platform for next-generation business leaders. Its founding reflects the importance of making space for emerging professionals and entrepreneurs within established business networks.
For younger leaders, access to forums and professional connections can help build knowledge, confidence and relationships across sectors. For the wider business community, involving new voices can support continuity and encourage fresh perspectives on future challenges and opportunities.
The initiative also connects the council’s work to a broader question facing business organisations: how to engage the next generation in international commerce and leadership. CBB NextGen gives that aim a practical focus within the UK–Sri Lanka business relationship.
Concept image: an illustrative business workshop; it does not depict CBB NextGen or the award event.
Recognition for leadership and community contribution
The award acknowledges Surgenor’s contribution, while also recognising the wider work of the CBB and its members. Forums, partnerships and initiatives such as CBB NextGen depend on participation from organisations and individuals across the network.
Surgenor said: “I’m honoured to receive the President’s Award and hugely grateful to everyone across the Council who has contributed to what we’ve achieved.”
His comment recognises the collective effort behind the council’s programme. The award is presented to an individual, but the work described in the citation involved engagement with member organisations and partners across the UK and Sri Lanka.
Andy Haldane CBE, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Mark’s leadership shows the difference one individual can make to an entire business community.”
Haldane’s comment underlines the importance of leadership within a network where collaboration across organisations is central to its work. It also points to the wider value of strengthening the relationships that help connect businesses in different countries.
Concept image: an illustrative view of international business collaboration; not a photograph of the gala or its attendees.
A milestone in UK–Sri Lanka business relations
The award offers a positive moment for Sri Lanka’s international business community and for people working to build stronger UK–Sri Lanka connections. Business links are supported not only by trade activity, but also by trusted networks, institutional partnerships and opportunities for people to meet and share expertise.
For Sri Lankans living in the UK and elsewhere, developments in bilateral business relations can be relevant beyond the boardroom. Stronger professional connections may help businesses explore opportunities, build relationships and raise awareness of Sri Lankan expertise. The award itself does not guarantee particular commercial outcomes, but it recognises leadership in developing a platform for engagement.
The recognition also sits within a wider pattern of UK–Sri Lanka collaboration. Readers can explore eLanka’s coverage of a UK–Sri Lanka trade mission supporting women entrepreneurs’ export potential for another example of organisations working to connect Sri Lankan businesses with UK markets.
Surgenor’s award is therefore both a personal honour and a significant achievement for Sri Lanka’s business community. It recognises the work of the CBB during his presidency and brings international attention to a council focused on strengthening commercial links between the two countries.
Sources
- Ceylon Chamber of Commerce: Mark Surgenor wins historic BCC International President’s Award 2026, 26 October 2026
- Daily FT: Mark Surgenor wins historic BCC International President’s Award 2026, 27 October 2026
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