News
Boots headed by Lankan won best retail team in UK award
by Sujeeva Nivunhella reporting from London
Boots Piccadilly Circus branch headed by its General Manager Chaminda Ranasinghe Ratnayake won the Best Retail Team in the UK for 2020/21 out of 300,000 retail teams across the country at a glamorous award ceremony held in London last week. A former head boy of Carey College, Colombo, Ratnayake completed his Bachelors in Business Management in University of Bangalore and achieved his Masters Degree in International Marketing from the University of East London. He has now gained over 18 years experience in Retail in the UK.
Retailers award ceremony is conducted by the Retail Week magazine every year and winning an award at the event is considered to be the pinnacle of their career.
In the Best Retail Team category, Boots competed against renowned businesses such as Tesco, Sainsburys, CO-OP, B&Q, Mark & Spencer, Pets At Home and River Island who were also nominated for the award.
After the ceremony talking to Sunday Island, Boots Piccadilly Circus General Manager Ratnayake said that throughout the pandemic the store team demonstrated that they are true frontline heroes and a great asset to the organisation, as well as the community by overcoming personal and external barriers to ensure all services and support are accessible to the customers and patients. “Staff canceled time off and worked on their scheduled days off to ensure the branch stayed open to serve people in need, including homeless people, methadone users and victims of domestic violence, who sought refuge there”, he said.
“The team transformed the pharmacy consultation rooms into Safe Spaces for victims of domestic violence as cases soared during lockdown and employees took calls from patients in need of support day and night. They were part of the Government initiative “Ask ANI” project. This was supported by the Duchess of Cornwall. The team was part of the fight to fly Covid testing trial which helped thousands of customers who were traveling to see family and loved ones”, he further said.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding, Victoria Atkins commended Ratnayake’s contribution towards social welfare. Then Health Secretary Matt Hancock also made a special acknowledgment about all the support and efforts made towards the public’s well being in the global pandemic.
Lord Bethell, Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care visited the branch to thank the team personally for all the work they did to support the COVID-19 testing and diagnostics.
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
