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BoardPAC appoints Vijendran Watson as Chairman
BoardPAC, the Sri Lanka-headquartered award-winning, paperless board meeting automation solutions provider, has announced the appointment of business leader Vijendran Watson as Chairman with effect from August 2021.
Watson was the founding Managing Director of Mobitel in Sri Lanka and former Managing Director of Lanka Bell. He has over 43 years of experience in the ICT industry and recently retired as the Chief Regional Officer (CRO) of edotco Group. As a founding member of edotco, the infrastructure company of the Axiata Group, Watson helped build the company from scratch to now be present in eight countries and own and manage over 30,000 towers.
As CRO Bay of Bengal, he was responsible for Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. As a further attestation to his global expertise in the corporate world, Mr Watson is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Master Performance Certified Coach and Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
“We are privileged and honoured that Mr Vijendran Watson has joined BoardPAC as Chairman. His extensive global growth experience will be beneficial to steer BoardPAC’s rapid global expansion phase that’s taking place. Mr Watson’s international experience, having lived and worked in over 10 countries, and his strategic experience will be valuable as BoardPAC expands globally in the Board Automation sphere,” stated Ms Lakmini Wijesundera, the founder and CEO of BoardPAC.
Watson added: “I keenly look forward to working with Lakmini and the dynamic BoardPAC team; the product is world-class and has the potential of making Sri Lanka proud by dominating this space globally. Furthermore, the pandemic has resulted in many Boards needing to meet virtually, and there is a tremendous opportunity to serve the need by offering a product that is secure and easy to use.”
BoardPAC is recognised for driving simple, secure, sustainable, and experiential communications for Board and Executive members. With over 50,000 users globally and a presence in over 40 countries, BoardPAC serves a host of fortune 500 companies and worldwide leading corporates such as Petronas, Deloitte, EY, Mercedes Benz, Prudential, Hong Leong Group, Stock Exchange of Malaysia, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Bombay Stock Exchange, Bank Negara and Maybank. Power Grid Corporation of India, the Colombo Stock Exchange, and SriLankan Airlines are just some of BoardPAC’s success stories. BoardPAC has also been recognised as one of Asia’s Best Workplaces 2021 by Great Place To Work®.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
