HEINEKEN Lanka Limited, the Sri Lankan subsidiary of The HEINEKEN Company, has received recognition as one of the ‘Best workplaces in the Manufacturing and Production Industry of Sri Lanka for 2023’ by Great Place to Work, a globally recognised authority that identifies and studies the best workplaces in over 150 countries and territories.

The accolade was conferred upon HEINEKEN Lanka after a comprehensive survey of over 27,300 employees from 45 reputable organizations in Sri Lanka’s Manufacturing and Production industry. The survey aimed to identify the 15 Best Workplaces from this list of companies, and the results revealed that employees in the Best 15 companies scored highest on Pride in the organization, Good Facilities, and Employee Cooperation.

Maud Meijboom-van Wel, Managing Director of HEINEKEN Lanka Limited, expressed deep appreciation for the award, citing the company’s commitment to unlocking the full potential of its people, promoting diversity and inclusion, and supporting employee wellbeing, especially during turbulent times as the elements that made all the difference. Meijboom-van Wel said, “At HEINEKEN, our purpose is to brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world, and it all boils down to the emphasis we have placed on caring for our people and our planet through our global EverGreen strategy, which we have actioned to achieve superior and balanced growth.”

HEINEKEN Lanka’s EverGreen Strategy is a game changer on a global level for HEINEKEN, accelerating the establishment of a fair, inclusive, and equitable company, and aims to increase female representation in senior management positions. In Sri Lanka, the company has a 32% female participation rate in its Senior Management cadre. Globally, HEINEKEN is recognised as a company that provides equal pay for equal work between female and male colleagues and runs several initiatives to level the playing field for women in leadership, including WIN (Women Interactive Network), HEINEKEN International Management Course (HIMAC), and the regional BOOST (Build Our Own Sustainable Talent) programme.

Despite operating in a heavily regulated dark market, which poses challenges that can limit women from working in Supply Chain and Sales, HEINEKEN Lanka has successfully created a fair, inclusive, and equitable workplace, says Paduma Subasinghe, Director of Human Resources. He went on to say that the company also faired extremely well on its global climate survey, recording a 91% overall employee engagement score. Notably, he said further, the company also scored 90% on the metric of being recognised as an equal opportunity provider for all to have a successful career, regardless of race, colour, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

A major factor behind the achievement is the company’s dedication to expose its talent to the best of opportunities available within the global HEINEKEN network. Through this approach, the company has secured both long and short-term exposure assignments in regional and global placements including Amsterdam, Greece, Malaysia and even New Caledonia for several of its team who comprise its 43% Manager-and-above top talent pool category. Simultaneously, the company’s Women in Sales initiative is also creating support programs and breaking gender barriers, with good practices and progress coming from different parts of the world. Moreover, HEINEKEN Lanka has committed to other programs such as the HEINEKEN Graduate Trainee program as well as ensuring that 100% of its people managers are trained on inclusive leadership.

Meijboom-van Wel said in conclusion, “The company’s initiatives are far-reaching and many, but employee wellbeing will always be an integral component of the culture we are nurturing. We encourage people to openly discuss and address their wellbeing, while embracing enjoyment of life. We intend to be relentless in continuing to make HEINEKEN a great place to work.”

As a wholly owned subsidiary of The HEINEKEN Company, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, HEINEKEN Lanka Limited is proud to be part of the heritage of HEINEKEN, being the world’s most international brewer and the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. A career at HEINEKEN offers great opportunities, both locally and internationally, for all its employees, as the company believes in attracting and retaining the very best in global talent.