Mr. Nick Jonsson

Co-founder and Managing Director of Executives-Global Network (EGN) across Singapore

Nick Jonsson is an expert in business networking, mental health advocacy, and personal development. As the co-founder and Managing Director of Executives' Global Network (EGN) across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, he's built a vital network of over 900 executives. His best-selling book, "Executive Loneliness," addresses executive loneliness issues in the corporate world, earning him recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice 2023 and various accolades, including the Entrepreneurs 100 Award 2021.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Nick is an accomplished Executive and Life Coach, speaker, and entrepreneur. His athletic dedication is evident as a top 2% world Ironman athlete, paralleling his commitment to mental well-being through his volunteer work with a suicide prevention agency. This multifaceted commitment to excellence, community service, and mental health advocacy positions Nick Jonsson as a leading figure in fostering a culture of resilience, mutual support, and comprehensive well-being in the business sphere and beyond.

Dr. Tanvi Gautam

Senior faculty and program Director at Singapore Management University (Executive Development).

Dr. Tanvi is a multi-award-winning keynote speaker, executive coach, author, senior faculty and program director at Singapore Management University (Executive Development). She uses a combination of head and heart-based tools for upgrading leaders and culture transformation. A certified Storytelling coach, certified Conversational Intelligence coach, and certified Culture Talk Tools coach, she takes a 360 intervention approach with clients such as Accenture, Mastercard, Dyson, Coca Cola, Gap Inc, Microsoft, Merck, Electrolux, and many others.

Dr. Tanvi is known for combining the best of corporate execution focus with the depth of academic frameworks to create the shifts needed to lead in the world of disruption. She is the first Asia-based leader to be listed on the Game Changer list by Workforce Magazine (USA). Her ideas have been published and quoted in Forbes.com, Harvard Business Review, Business Times, Economic Times, BBC World, and other global publications. She is the author of two books and listed as the top 200 global influencers on leadership by People Hum in 2022 and 2023. Dr. Tanvi is also the only Asia-based HR influencer to be on the SAP global influencer HXM list. As President of the Asia Speakers' Association Singapore (2021) she was also the first woman of colour in that role. She considers learning to accept herself as an imperfect mom as a noteworthy achievement.

Find out more at www.leadersupgraded.com

Dr. Sweta Adatia

Neurologist and brain coach / TEDx speaker /Author

Dr Sweta Adatia is a young and dynamic Neurologist currently head of the department of Neurology at Gargash hospital. She has been in UAE for last 8 years and was the medical director of RAK hospital for 3.5 years. She did her Medicine from Mumbai, India and then paralytic stroke fellowship from Calgary, Canada. She is also a fellow of American college of physicians, USA. She holds 13 Gold medals in various subjects. Prior to UAE, she has worked in three continents: Asia, central Africa, and North America.

She has completed one year at Cambridge university pursuing MBA in healthcare. In the summer she was invited to work with defeat NCD UN for launching NCD care funding program for 90 LMIC (Low- and medium-income countries) countries as part of her university program. She was offered the brightest minds in Cambridge – scholarship for pursuing the MBA.

She is the founder of a neuromeric assessment program Future ready now delivered through an app Zebrabrain which is helping the generation alfa to chart their brain maps and help in confident and wise career choice. Her latest book on the subject has hit amazon global best seller charts. She is a key note speaker in various conferences. She has delivered a TEDX talk – impact of story on the brain. She also has delivered over 200 seminars for students in various schools and colleges on designing careers scientifically.

She is currently in the process of mapping the high achievers’ brains through her limitless brain lab in Dubai. She and her team have devised an AI algorithm which can read the brains and determine the reasons behind the success and achievement. The documentary is about to be released in 2024.

Dr Sweta Adatia is multi-talented and has achieved mastery in many fields other than Medicine and Neurology. She has done her Visharad (BA in music) in harmonium and has played table tennis tournaments in various National/District level championships and won many trophies. She is inclined spiritually and has a lot of interest in the science of alternative medicine. She has completed advanced pranic healing and pranic psychotherapy courses of Master Choa Kok Sui at Mumbai. She has formal hypnotherapy training from New York in past life regression from the master Dr Brain Weiss , the author of very famous book “Many Lives, Many Masters”. She is also trained in Neuro and biofeedback as a therapeutic modality for various neuropsychiatric diseases from California, USA.

Ms. Amanthi Pererae

Head of the Social Pillar of MAS Group Sustainable Business.

A sustainability practitioner throughout her career Amanthi has been working in this field since 1999, and her work experience is in varied sectors of Sri Lanka including the NGO, Government and the Private Sector.

Amanthi currently holds the post of Head- Social Sustainability at MAS and has been in the core team involved with the formulation of sustainability strategy at the organization. She is also currently the point person for the United Nations Global Compact for MAS Holdings.

She began her career at MAS in 2007 giving leadership to the Eco Go Beyond Programme – which is a community outreach programme on Sustainable Development Education for youth of rural Sri Lanka. Amanthi has represented MAS Holdings at many national and international forums. N8212477 These have been in the capacity of presenter, panelist and judge.

A firm believer in education for change, she has been a visiting lecturer on sustainable development at many post graduate and professional programmes and has also contributed to developing curriculum on environmental sustainability. She has training in sustainability related fields such as, Sustainability Reporting, GRI, embedding Sustainable Development and Business, Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001), Business and Human Rights and the Global Compact.

Amanthi’s past involvement in the field of environment has seen her work on the Climate Change Enabling Activity Project (Phase II) which was funded by the UNDP and conducted by the Global Affairs Division of the Ministry of Environment. She was also the Editor and Publications Officer of the Environmental Foundation Limited for 3 years.

Amanthi has a Masters in Environmental Sciences from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi India and obtained her Bachelor of Science from the Open University of Sri Lanka.

She lives and works in Colombo, with her husband, son and daughter.

Dr. Romesh Ranawana

Group Chief Analytics and AI Officer at Dialog Axiata PLC.

Dr. Romesh Ranawana embodies the intersection of academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and visionary leadership in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With a foundation rooted in a DPhil in AI from the University of Oxford, his journey spans the roles of a respected academic, innovative entrepreneur, strategic business leader, and thoughtful contributor to AI policy. Romesh's dedication to advancing AI technology is matched by his commitment to applying these advancements ethically and effectively within businesses and broader society. His career is a testament to the belief that deep expertise and collaborative innovation can drive transformative change.

As the Group Chief Analytics and AI Officer at Dialog Axiata PLC, Romesh has played a pivotal role in creating and nurturing an AI and analytics division. This division has become a cornerstone of innovation, significantly contributing to the company's data-driven culture and operational excellence. His strategic vision has not only improved financial performance but has also set new standards for customer service and operational efficiency in the industry.

In founding Enterprise Machine Learning (Pvt) Ltd, Romesh offered his expertise to organizations navigating the complexities of AI transformation, demonstrating a broad impact across sectors including telecommunications, environmental conservation, and beyond. His leadership extends to shaping AI policy in Sri Lanka, where he serves as the Chairman of the National Committee and fostering talent and innovation as Chairman of the SLASSCOM AI Center of Excellence.

With a rich academic foundation and a track record of 14 peer-reviewed international publications, Romesh's work exemplifies a deep commitment to advancing the field of AI. His contributions, from developing Sri Lanka's first enterprise-grade GenAI chatbot to leading innovative projects in the UAV and simulation technology sectors, highlight a career devoted to technological innovation and its ethical application.

Mr. Damitha Jayasinghe

Chief People Officer at 99x.

Damitha counts over 20+ years of experience in the field of IT. Starting his career as a software engineer, Damitha expanded his career into Project Management, Operation Management and Human Resource Management. He holds a Masters in Financial Economics from University of Colombo. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he takes part in strengthening industry-academia partnerships in Sri Lanka and works closely with state agencies in streamlining the Sri Lanka education system.

Mr. Jehan Perinpanayagam

Chief Executive Officer - Infomate Pvt Limited.

Jehan Perinpanayagam serves as CEO Infomate Pvt Limited and senior Vice President John Keells Holdings. He serves the industry in many roles including as Chair SLASSCOM, Chair ACCA Sri Lanka and President Sri lanka Nordic business council. He is a fellow member of ACCA, CIMA and CMA and an associate member of CA Sri Lanka and holds an MBA from the university of west London.

Rosanna Flamer-Caldera

Executive Director Equal Ground, Sri lanka .

Rosanna Flamer-Caldera Is the founder and Executive Director of EQUAL GROUND (2004-to present), the oldest LGBTIQ advocacy organization pursuing LGBTIQ rights as part of the larger Human Rights framework in Sri Lanka. Rosanna served 2 terms as Co-Secretary General of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) and is the co-founder and former Chair of the Commonwealth Equality Network, a broad network of LGBTIQ organisations within the Commonwealth. She was also the co-founder of the Women’s Support Group in 1999. In 2018 Rosanna was instrumental in filing the first case of its kind at the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee at the United Nations, challenging discriminatory laws in her country that criminalizes consenting adult same sex sexual relationships between women. In September 2021, she spearheaded the first of its kind legal case in the Court of Appeal, against homophobic, discriminatory and inflammatory speeches made by police trainers in Sri Lanka.

Both cases were adjudicated in favour of Rosanna, EQUAL GROUND and the LGBTIQ community. Through her guidance, EQUAL GROUND commenced Diversity and Inclusion programs within the corporate sector in Sri Lanka and to date have sensitized over 45,000 staff members of over 50 major companies and holding companies, in Sri Lanka. Research and self help for the LGBTIQ community were areas that were vastly overlooked when Rosanna started her activism in Sri Lanka. Since establishing EQUAL GROUND in 2024, the organisation has produced more than 31 publications that have assisted in a clearer understanding of LGBTIQ life in Sri Lanka. Over the past 6 years, several LGBTIQ organisations were established in Sri Lanka, post 2017, with the majority of them being founded by ex-employees of EQUAL GROUND, such as the National Transgender Network, Venasa Transgender Network, Equite Sri Lanka, Jaffna Transgender Network, to name a few.

Mr. Isuru Gunasekera

Executive Vice President / Chief People Officer & Head of Sustainability, ERM & Group Initiatives at JKH

Isuru Gunasekera is an Executive Vice President of the John Keells Group, and its Chief People Officer, & Head of Sustainability, Enterprise Risk Management and Group Initiatives. He joined the Group in 2001 into the New Business Development Division and thereafter headed Group initiatives and also Projects for the Transport Sector. He was the Chief Executive Officer of John Keells Logistics, the Group’s 3rd Party Logistics arm for 10 years and CEO of Mackinnons Travels for a short period. Prior to joining the Group, he was in investment banking at J P Morgan Chase.

Ms. Bani Chandrasena

Director/Co-owner at Thambiliwatte (Pvt)

Bani's professional career in Human resources spans across a range of industries over the past 20+ years. Her strengths and passion have been mostly in people development working with worker level, all the way to C suite leadership The last 5 years have been in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at London Stock Exchange Group Sri Lanka which she retired from, to pursue a few independent projects under her own brand of PeopleLink Consultancy.

She is now the President of Diversity Collective Lanka (DCLK); a not for profit association, driving inclusive thinking and actions across education and students, corporates and entrepreneurship. She is also a very active member of the Capacity Forum at SLASSCOM which is focused on building the talent pipeline for IT and BPM industry in Sri Lanka with mid term and long term solutions, which will enable sri lanka in the medium and long term.

She is now working on a new agriculture project, transitioning towards becoming an entrepreneur working on a number of projects from Organic Farming to Livelihood development as well as Human Resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultancy. Bani’s Organic Sustainable Agri farm development coupled with a plan for agritourism will enable and support the livelihood project in the village where the farm is located; Konwewa, Maho under the brand Thambiliwatte Sustainable Farms.

Bani’s primary objectives are to continue to learn and gain new skills, while sharing her knowledge and abilities with others in communities as well as corporates through the many hats that she wears, while mastering how to live a simple lifestyle. She is a proud mom of a teenager about to embark on his own college journey next year, which will open yet a new chapter in her life as well. .

Dr. Rohan Fernando

Executive Director - Plantations and Business Development of the Group Covering Sustainability and Branding at Aitken Spence.

Dr. Rohan Fernando joined Aitken Spence Plantation Management in May 1994 and has been the Managing Director of Aitken Spence Plantation Managements PLC and Elpitiya Plantations PLC since August 1997. He was the Chairman of United Nations Global Compact Network, Sri Lanka, a former President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Chapter and a past Chairman of the Planters Association of Ceylon.

He is currently the President of the Palm Oil Industry Association and also serves on the committee of the Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).

Dr. Fernando was appointed to the Main Board of Aitken Spence PLC in 2005 and is currently Head of the Plantations segment, Sustainability, Business Development and Branding.

He holds a PhD and an MBA from the University of Colombo and is also a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, (CIM UK).

Ms. Zahara Ansary

Country Manager at AICPA & CIMA.

Ambitious, passionate, and energetic – She believes in making a difference in all she does. Loves reading, organizing events, compering, playing badminton and making things happen!

Ms. Zahara Ansary is a Management Accountant turned strategic marketer with 2 decades of work experience across Banking, Business Process Outsourcing, Telecommunication and Professional Education. Having worked at Nations Trust Bank PLC, WNS Global Services and Bharti Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Limited, and since 2017, in her current role; she has been named in Global CEO Magazine’s Women of Steel 2024, LMD’s Women in Business A List in March 2022 and in Millennial Torchbearers A List in 2020. She is a proud Fellow Member of CIMA, a CPA of CPA Australia, holds a MBA from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and is a Project Management Professional of PMI, USA.

She is also a Board Member of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce and HAC Sri Lanka.

Dr. Samitha Perera

Director/CEO at Ceylon Biscuits Limited (Foods)

Mr. Hiran Cooray

Chairman at Jetwing Symphony PLC, The Lighthouse Hotel PLC

Hiran joined his father, the founder of Jetwing, late Herbert Cooray, in the late 1980s. He learnt to love nature, work with local communities and to explore areas where others wouldn’t from his father; today, this is called sustainable tourism. He has seen the Jetwing brand being recognized as Sri Lanka’s most responsible hospitality entity.

His efforts were acknowledged internationally with him being the first Sri Lankan to be appointed Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) based in Bangkok. He also served on the Board of Small Luxury Hotels of the World from 2007-2014 and the UNWTO Tourism Ethics Committee as an alternate member from 2013-2021.

In Sri Lanka, he was elected President of the Tourist Hotels Association (THASL) from 2005-2008 and from 2014-2016. He also served as a Board member of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB). His passion for sustainable tourism makes him a sought-after speaker within his motherland and around the world.

Mr. Ken Vijayakumar

President CIPM, Senior General Manager - HR, Admin, Purchasing, & Sustainability at A. Baur & Co. (Pvt) Ltd..

Ken Vijayakumar is currently holding the position of Deputy General Manager -Human Resources, Administration, Purchasing and Sustainability at A. Baur & Company (Pvt.) Ltd and counts over 30 years of experience in the field of Human Resources Management and General Management. Ken is known as “Peoples leader” as he has shown exemplary attitude in developing and resolving people’s issues in the state and private sectors and this is evident by the awards and accolades that he has received during his long-spanned career as a Human Resources Professional. Ken was recipient of Brandix Master Award in 2005, Aviva Leadership Excellence Award in 2007 and Aviva Change Manager Award in 2008.

Ken was instrumental to initiate much needed change management for the planation industry where he introduced the Adventure Based Experiential Learning by mixing workers, Staff and Senior Management as single to group to participate in a residential program with shared camping accommodations. Ken started his career as the Management Trainee in 1985 at Janatha Estates Development Board and thereafter, he has held managerial and senior managerial positions in Lankem (Ceylon)Ltd, Watawala plantations, Mas Holdings, Keels Plantations, Lanka Equities, Brandix, WNS/AVIVA, Delmege Forsyth and Waters Edge Ltd.

Further he has held a regional Head of HR position in Malaysia for Good hope Asia (holdings) managing diverse Human Resources from different parts of world. It is evident from the above that he has exposure to several industries such as Plantations, Apparel Manufacturing, Business Process Out-Sourcing /Knowledge Process Out-Sourcing, diversified industries, Palm Oil Refineries and Hospitality Industries.

Further Ken is also a Senior faculty member of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management since 2008. Ken has a Bachelor of Arts qualification from University of Peradeniya and Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Post Graduate institute of Management. (PIM) Ken holds membership in following Professional bodies. 1. Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Sri Lanka 2. Malaysian Institute of Human Resources Management

He is the current President of CIPM Sri Lanka and serving in the CIPM Executive Council for continuously last 6 years. Ken had a very progressive career at CIPM. Ken Joined the IPM in 2002 as a member of Young Members forum and involved in many important projects under the leadership of Past President Mr. Rohitha Amarapala and awarded associate membership in 2009. Ken was elected as the Hony. Treasurer in 2011 and as Hony. secretary in 2017 & 2018, as Hony. Treasurer in 2019 and as the Vice President from 2020 until 2022. Some of the significant contributions by Ken to IPM/CIPM are 1. Creating transparency by commencing “From secretary’s desk “monthly update to members on CIOPM activities 2. Introduced the “Great HR practices” 3. Introduced the “Protocol Manual” 4. Served as the member the CQHRM syllabus review committee. 5. Initiated the Certificate course in Reward Management 6. Initiated “CIPM Life Changer” Job Portal 7. Instrumental in making People Management Solutions as the viable income earner.

Mr. Dhammika Fernando

Past President CIPM,Director of Tropical Findings (Pvt) Ltd.

Mr. Dhammika Fernando is currently the Director of Tropical Findings (Pvt) Ltd., a Japanese multinational company operating in the FTZ Katunayake and has been working for foreign investments in the KEPZ for the past 36 years. He currently functions as the Chief Officer overseeing HR, Admin, Logistics and Finance in his company. He is a Past Chairman of the FTZMA - Free Trade Zone Manufacturers’ Association, which office he held for five consecutive years until March, 2015. He also serves as a member of the “National Labour Advisory Council” to the Minister of Labour since 2010 and as a member of the “National Wages Board” for the Apparel Trade. Currently, he is an IPM nominated Vice President of the OPA Sri Lanka and a Life Member of the OPA. Dhammika is also a Vice President of the Alumni of his Alma Mater, Maris Stella College and a member of the Alumni of the University of Moratuwa.

Dhammika completed his education at Maris Stella College Negombo; had his academic education at the University of Moratuwa in the field of Engineering; professional education at IPM Sri Lanka (NDHRM) and completed his postgraduate qualifications from the Open University. He also holds an MBA from the Open University of Sri Lanka specialising in HR.

A Corporate Member of IPM Sri Lanka since 2002, Dhammika was elected to its Governing Council in 2007 and has since served as Chairman, YMF (2008/09); Hony. Secretary, (2009/10) and as Hony. Vice President, from 2010 to 2012. During his tenure at the IPM, Dhammika chaired the International HR Conference in 2012, which is regarded as one of the most successful conferences held by the Institute.

He represented IPM Sri Lanka at the CIPD Annual Conference held in the UK, Hong Kong International HR Conference and Bangladesh HR Conference organised by the BSHRM. Prior to joining the Governing Council of the Institute, he has served in a number of standing committees of IPM including the first ever marketing committee.

He partnered Mr. Chandra Hewapaththini in introducing “The Great HR Debate” as a novel feature to the National HR Conference. In addition, he has chaired the Audit & Legal Committee, Finance and Admin Committee, Members’ Lounge Development & HR Ball Committee, and Consultancy & Training Committee for three consecutive years. He currently serves IPM Sri Lanka in the capacity of a Council Member and Co-Chairman of the External Affairs Committee and serves on the board of APFHRM (Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management). He is a ‘Certified HR Auditor’ and also an IPM HR Lead Consultant.

Mr. Dhammika Fernando was awarded the “Global HR Excellence - HR Leadership Award” at the Asia Pacific HRD Congress held in 2010.

Ms. Davina Kern

Council Member CIPM, Head of Group HR - David Pieris Group

Davina possesses 25 plus years of experience out of which 21 years contributing to the field of Human Resource Management. She has served companies such as Aitken Spence & Co., MAS Holdings, McLarens Group and presently is the Head of Group HR at David Pieris Group of Companies, a renowned conglomerate in Sri Lanka. She has been instrumental in employee centralizations/ rationalizations / HR system designs & implementation / Talent Management / Competency framework development at large whilst being a HR generalist giving leadership to teams. Davina has worked with ‘Delloitte Consultancy’ India and was actively involved in a HR system design and implementation at MAS at a Group level.

Davina has been instrumental in receiving awards such as AHRP/’Great Place to Work’ /NBEA etc... for her employers.

She won the ‘HR Leaders Award – Talent Acquisition 2018’ at the National HR Conference organized by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka in 2018.

Davina is a holder of an MBA from the University of Cardiff Metropolitan UK, a HND holder of the Association of Business Executives UK, NDHR by CIPM Sri Lanka. She is an Associate Member of ABE UK, an Associate Member of CIPM SL and a Member of AHRP. She is also a certified coach by the ICF and a Certified HR Auditor. She has also earned certifications in Strategic HRM by LAHES – NUS, Leadership workshops by FrancklinCovery South Asia, Assessment Centres / Job Analysis & Design respectively by SHL India & HAY Group India.

Davina is a ‘change catalyst’ who has supported her employers in managing change successfully through learning / coaching interventions.