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Iroshini wijenayaka of ideal Group represents Lanka at the World Women Leadership Congress
Iroshini Wijenayaka, the General Manager of Group Marketing & Communications at Ideal Group (Pvt) Ltd, was recently nominated as a Patron of the World Women Leadership Congress (WWLC), taking Sri Lanka to the international limelight, yet again. Based in Mumbai, WWLC, honors the strategic and influential role of women leaders and annually organizes the ‘Women Leadership Awards’ to celebrate the outstanding leadership and achievements demonstrated by women leaders in the region.
Iroshini shared her gratitude for being offered the opportunity to mentor fellow women and represent the nation on an international platform. “This is a great opportunity to empower and be empowered. It gives me great pleasure to be a part of WWCL, and assist fellow women of the region to successfully navigate in this competitive world. I firmly believe in empowering and uplifting each other, paving the way to follow their dreams. My long-term vision for women in business is to genuinely support each other and continuously work towards gender equality and women empowerment.”
In her career journey of two decades, Iroshini has represented several male dominated sectors of work, including sports marketing and the automobile industry. Her tenure at Sri Lanka Cricket has shone light in her career path to keep pushing boundaries and continue to challenge the societal norms of male dominated sectors of work, while achieving great heights.
Women in uncommon job roles or male dominated sectors is a topic of conversation in the current business context. As a woman who currently represents such a sector, Iroshini shared her experience at the workplace. “It is indeed challenging, but thanks to the forward-thinking work culture of the Ideal Group which stems from the Chairman himself, it continues to provide equal opportunities to all. The empowerment and guidance from fellow team members is always a breath of fresh air. All members of the Group truly believe in gender equality and constantly encourage women empowerment. The several power women currently strengthening the Group’s senior management team are a testament to this focus and I am honoured to be a part of such a team.”
Adding to her list of international recognition, Iroshini was awarded the ‘Woman of Worth’ award in 2021, by WWLC. She is also the recipient of the award ‘Most Influential Global Marketing Leaders’ in 2019, a recognition award presented by the World Marketing Congress (WMC).
While being a part of many community engagement projects with the aim of empowering and supporting all women, Iroshini is involved in the rehabilitation and recovery of abused girls. Her upbringing as a pupil of Visakha Vidyalaya in Colombo has greatly influenced her personality of being empathetic towards all and has instilled values which has shaped her to be the remarkable woman she is today.
Iroshini is an experienced Marketing and Communications professional with an MBA from the Western Sydney University, an MSc in Strategic Marketing from the Cardiff Metropolitan University of Wales, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing UK.
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
