Aitken Spence connects with employees across several countries via the digital platform to usher 2021

Despite the ongoing pandemic and its challenges, the Aitken Spence team connected virtually with the employees of Aitken Spence across different countries to celebrate the dawn of 2021. This was a landmark event for Aitken Spence as the leadership team made their first address for 2021 to employees through this digital platform facilitated via Microsoft teams. Aitken Spence employees in Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Oman, Fiji, and Mozambique were able to connect virtually with the top management through this initiative.

As the new year brings new hope and fresh opportunities to start-over, Aitken Spence continues to stay committed and determined to overcome challenges faced with the new normal work by using every opportunity to stay connected and motivate their teams.

The Group Supervisory Board commenced the ceremony by the lighting a traditional oil lamp with a digital app, combining age old values with changing needs of the contemporary world. Together with them, two members of the staff ‘Spensonians’ representing the diverse workforce also participated in lighting the digital oil lamp.

Thereafter, the keynote speech was made by Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Aitken Spence PLC, who commenced his address with words of inspiration and hope. He said “From a room of fear in the year 2020 we are entering the New Year from a room of hope. Let me at the outset on behalf of the Group Chairman, Board of Directors and Senior Management take this opportunity to wish all of you and your loved ones a new year filled with joy, happiness, and good health. I would also like to appreciate and commend the Spensonians for their untiring and unwavering commitment and dedication extended during unprecedented times.”

“When I look back and ponder on the year 2020 and the difficult decisions we made it reminds me of a particular quotation which says ‘The pessimist complains about a stormy wind, it also says that the optimist expects the stormy wind to change’. I would like to think that we were a realistic organisation. The ‘realist’ adjusts the sails of the ship in the face of a stormy wind. The year 2020 was a year where we had to re-adjust our sails at Aitken Spence,” he further added in his speech.

Executive Directors of the Group Supervisory Board, Dr. Rohan Fernando and Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena also made their remarks in their messages to the staff. Members of the Group Supervisory Board, Ms. Nilanthi Sivapragasam and Rohan Pandithakorralage also participated in this ceremony.