Mr. Andrew Bryant

Executive Leadership, Team Coach, Author, and Keynote Speaker Founder of Self Leadership International

Andrew Bryant is a renowned keynote speaker on leadership and motivation, a global authority on self-leadership, and a trusted executive coach for C-level leaders, and leadership teams worldwide.

As the author of Self-Leadership: How to Become a More Successful, Efficient, and Effective Leader from the Inside Out and The New Leadership Playbook, Andrew provides actionable strategies that empower leaders to take ownership, enhance their influence, and achieve accelerated results.

With a deep understanding of leadership in an AI-driven world, Andrew inspires audiences to embrace their humanity, cultivate resilience, and lead with confidence in times of change.

His dynamic and engaging presentations equip leaders with the mindset and strategies to unleash their full potential, drive organizational transformation, and create meaningful impact.

Whether addressing corporate conferences, leadership summits, or executive retreats, Andrew Bryant delivers high-impact, thought-provoking keynotes that leave a lasting impression.

Ms. Mimi Nicklin

Bestselling Author, CEO & Empathy Advocate.

Mimi Nicklin is an internationally bestselling author and the multi- award-winning Founder of the world’s widest-reaching empathy training & engagement platform. Ranked as the Number 1 Workplace Wellbeing Leader in Malaysia on LinkedIn by Favicon, Mimi is a top 5-rated podcast host of her show, ‘MiMi You You’, she is omnipresent in the media including recently appearing live on the BBC to 85 million people.

Having recently appeared on stage with BillGates, she is an experienced executive coach, and the globe's leading thought leader advocating for the movement to create more empathy in the world. She trained over 20,000+ professionals in Fortune 500 organizations globally in Listening-Led Leadership and has recently been awarded Malaysian Female Leader 2024 and Top 45 Sri Lankan Leader 2024. Mimi specializes in Listening-Led, Empathetic Leadership, Multi-Generational Engagement, Psychological Safety and Inclusion & Wellbeing.

Mr. Santosh D'Souza

Director - Talent & Learning Solutions (South India & Sri Lanka), LinkedIn.

Topic : Future Ready Talent Playbook: Insights, Opportunities, and the LinkedIn Advantage.

A Sales & Business development professional with 17 years of work experience in internet, social media, ecommerce, mobile VAS & mobile payments. Santosh is passionate about developing sales reps and helping them to grow both personally and professionally.

Santosh’s Key skills lie in Sales, Vendor Management, Relationship Management, Strategic Alliances, B2B corporate sales, Building Channel Distribution Networks, Licensing, and Syndication. He has worked in numerous successful start-ups during the course of his career.

Santosh is looking forward to building his career in the area of new age media namely; internet, ecommerce, m-commerce, VAS, Mobile payment.

Santosh loves to focus on people & businesses. His main focus areas are driving and maintaining a positive team culture, creating successful business strategies, developing & growing markets, strategic forecasting, sales coaching, talent transformation and recruiting.

Ms. Shashi Kandambi

General Manager / Chief Executive Officer at National Savings Bank

Ms Shashi Kandambi Jassim is a seasoned banker with over 35 years of experience and currently serves as the General Manager/CEO of National Savings Bank (NSB). She holds a Master’s degree from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and has completed executive leadership training at Harvard Business School. Before assuming her role at NSB, Ms. Kandambi held a pivotal position as Senior Deputy General Manager at Sampath Bank, where she led key divisions, including International Banking, Corporate Credit, Corporate Finance, and Treasury. Her strategic acumen, strong governance practices, and innovative mindset have been instrumental in shaping her career trajectory.

Beyond her executive role at NSB, Ms. Kandambi actively contributes to the banking industry. She serves as the Chairperson of the SWIFT User Group and National Member Group, as well as Financial Ombudsman Sri Lanka (Guarantee) Ltd. Additionally, she holds board positions in several prestigious institutions, including the Sri Lanka Bankers’ Association, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, NSB Fund Management Company, and Lanka Financial Services Bureau Ltd. She is also a member of the Council of Advisors for the Association of Professional Bankers (APB), Sri Lanka.

Recently, she was appointed to the board of the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI), representing NSB. At the WSBI Centenary Conference 2024 in Italy, she shared her insights on the future of savings and retail banking in the 21st century.

Ms. Kandambi's leadership extends beyond her current roles. She previously served as President of APB, and her contributions to the banking sector have been widely recognized. In 2017, she received the Gold Award for Banking and Finance at the Top 50 Professional and Career Women Awards. In 2024, she was honored with the Global CEO Leadership Excellence Award by Global CEO Pvt Ltd. Additionally, Pinnacle Sri Lanka recognized her as the People’s Pinnacle Best CEO of the Year 2024 (Overall Sector).

Ms. Kandambi has been a keynote speaker and panelist at numerous local and international forums. Most recently, she represented Sri Lanka as a panelist at the Asian SWIFT Forum during SIBOS 2024 in Beijing.

With her unwavering commitment to excellence, innovative leadership, and dedication to the growth of the banking sector, Ms. Kandambi has solidified her position as one of Sri Lanka’s most influential figures in the financial industry.

Mr. Pradip Pandey

Managing Director at Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka.

Mr. Pradip Pandey, Managing Director Coca- Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited. Prior to joining Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka, he served as the Managing Director Coca-Cola Beverages Nepal. Pradip has been with Coca-Cola for over 19 years and has held the positions of Zonal Vice President, Director Area Operations and General Manager Area Operations at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages. Pradip has over 32 years experience in FMCG & Food industries including Cadbury India Ltd., Smithkline Beecham, GM Pens, Frito-Lay India and Wockhardt.

Mr. Ravi Jayawardena

Group Chief Executive Officer at Maliban Group.

Ravi Jaywardena is the current Group Chief Executive Officer at Maliban Group, which consists of Maliban Biscuits Pvt Ltd, Maliban Milk Pvt Ltd, Maliban Agro Ltd, and Little Lion. Furthermore, currently, he is serving as an independent Director” at Cargills Bank and Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM).

Before that, he was the “Country Head of Sales at Coca-Cola Sri Lanka,” where he led the Coca-Cola Sri Lanka team to win several Asian and African “Best Practice Awards”. Ravi had a unique opportunity to be selected among twenty-five top-end marketers from the Coca-Cola fraternity to “Develop the Marketing Blueprint” for Coca-Cola South Africa.

Ravi started his professional career at Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd where he held several senior management positions in Sales and Marketing covering Home, Personnel care, and Foods.

Ravi has received his MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management – Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka) He has been a leading MBA lecturer for the last 15 years for many universities in the UK, Australia, and the Asian region.

In 2013 Ravi was selected to deliver a speech on “Effectiveness in Thematic Advertising” at the prestigious world-class Cambridge University in the UK at their annual “Business & Economic Forum”. Analyzing his immense contribution to the professional world and society, The Postgraduate Institute of Management Alumina (PIMA) awarded the prestigious “Platinum Honors” to Ravi Jayawardena in the year 2014.

In the year 2024, Ravi was selected as one of the best CEO, s in the country for his visionary leadership and high resilience at the “Global CEO Leadership Excellence Award” ceremony.

Mr. Conrad Dias.

Director, LOLC Holdings PLC / Chairman, LOLC Finance PLC.

Conrad Dias is visionary business leader, technology strategist, futurist and thought leader in emerging technologies who has over 3 decades of experience. His experience spans over close to 3 decades and as a visionary thought leader in business technology and his C-Level experience spans over 20+ years. He is an innovative and creative technologist and transformational business leader who focus on exceptional business results.

Fintech enthusiast who innovated many financial technology products and solution and he is the Founder/Director of iPay a revolutionary platform beyond payments and Founder of OYES another fintech platform that making everyday a payday

He was the Group CIO of LOLC Holdings PLC and now Director of the company providing strategic vision and direction in technology. Currently functions as the Chairman of LOLC Finance PLC Sri Lankas Largest Non- Banking Financial Services Company and Chairmen of LOLC Technologies Limited. He is also founding director of Sri Lankas most successful ride hailing start up Digital Mobility Pvt Ltd popularly known as PickMe. Director ODoc Pvt Ltd again a successful start-up telemedicine platform. Before joining LOLC group as the CIO of the Group he served as Group CIO for Hirdarmani Group of Companies 3 rd largest apparel exporter of Sri Lanka.

He is a passionate speaker and sharer of knowledge as a thought leader as a keynoter, panellist and speaker. He has participated as a speaker in many local and international events on technology with audience ranging from school leavers, under graduates to top C-level executives in forums of varying disciplines.

His thought leadership on technology and contribution in the field of ICT to the industry, society and in LOLC Group was recognised by many local and international awards including prestige’s Computer Society of Sri Lanka CIO of the year 2016. He was also award at the Chartered Management Institute of Sri Lanka Professional Excellence Award 2017.

He has been selected as one of the 11inductees of the world for CIO hall of fame and CIO 100 honouree for year 2020.CIO Hall of fame is a personal leadership award that celebrates outstanding achievement in Information Technology Management. The CIO Hall of fame honours the IT professionals whose work has advanced the CIO role and demonstrated sustained business success.

He is Fellow Member of Chartered Management Accountants UK (FCMA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA -USA), He is also a Fellow of Certified Management Accountant of Sri Lanka (FCMA), and he is Fellow Member of British Computer Society (FBCS). He holds master’s in business administration (MBA) from University of Leicester UK and specialised in ICT Management. Also he was in THE CIMA top 50 ICONS in the year 2021.

Dr. Romesh Ranawana.

Group Chief Analytics & AI Officer - 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.

Dr. Prasanth Nair

Chief Human Resource Officer - Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited.

Dr D. Prasanth is a B.Tech and Doctorate from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He started his career in GEC Alsthom and had stints in the RPG Group. He headed HR for Thomas Cook and was also member of the Global HR Council of the Thomas Cook Plc. Post that, he was the Global HR head of Cipla. He is the co-founder of ZingHR a SAAS HRTech platform. He is presently the CHRO – Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited. Interested in Mathematics, Spirituality and Future of Work.

Mr. Rajendra Theagarajah

Independent Non-Executive Chairman at First Capital Holdings PLC

Rajendra Theagarajah is an Alumni of Price Waterhouse Coopers, Sri Lanka. He is a Fellow Member of CA Sri Lanka as well as CIMA (UK). He obtained his MBA from Cranfield School of Management, UK and had a highly successful career in Banking both in the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. During a 38 year career, Theagarajah spent the last 16 years as CEO of Three private sector licensed commercial banks in Sri Lanka and had the opportunity of contributing significantly towards policy advocacy issues such as Corporate Governance Framework for Banks, Basel III adoption and fair Value Accounting by Banks, Financial Inclusion and more recently development of Fintec Sand Box framework for Banks.

During his tenure as a Bank CEO, Mr Theagarajah also served as the Chairman of The Asian Banks Association (2011-12), Chairman Sri Lanka Banks Association, Chairman Lanka Financial Services Bureau, Director Colombo Stock exchange, Lanka Clear pvt Limited and Sri Lanka Institute of Directors. During his leadership as CEO, the Hatton National Bank (www.hnb.net) was recognized as the Retail Bank of the year for Sri Lanka for 7 successive years (2007-13) and Best Bank in Sri Lanka by the “Banker” in 2006 & 2012. He was personally profiled by Wileys publication of “Asia’s 25 Banking CEOs in 2008 (ISBN 9780470823590) and was the recipient of the Qatar Financial Authority (QFC) Outstanding Leadership in Banking -Sri Lanka twice (2007-9 & 2010-12).

Mr Theagarajah has been actively involved in the Board of Sri Lanka’s oldest business chamber the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) for over a decade and served as its Chairman for a two year tenure 2017-19 (only career Banker to hold this position) and Chaired the steering committee on Entrepreneur Development until June 2023. He was nominated by the CCC to represent the institution in developing the Sri Lanka SDG Investor Roadmap which was completed in September 2022.

Having retired from full time active management since September 2020, Mr Theagarajah continues to contribute towards business and economic renaissance of Sri Lanka by serving in a diverse pool of Boards ranging from family owned private companies, start up in Data Analytics, a Multi-National Company with manufacturing interests in Sri Lanka, a leading insurance company in Zambia , a leading listed Investment Bank in Sri Lanka and a listed Non Bank Finance company . Mr Theagarajah also serves as an invited member of the Stakeholder Engagement Committee of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He is also a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Pathfinder Foundation a leading think tank in Sri Lanka. In October 2022 the Asian Banks Association conferred the title of Emeritus -Chairman to Mr Theagarajah.

Mr Theagarajah is Married to Sharmani a Phd Holder in Control Systems from Imperial College, London, and has 2 daughters Arushka and MA in US History & Politics from University College, London and Anjali MSc in Water Science, Policy & management from University of Oxford.

Ms. Sabrina Esufally

Managing Director - Hemas Consumer Brands.

Sabrina Esufally is the Managing Director of Hemas Consumer Brands. She leads cross functional teams in sales, marketing, innovation and supply chain to drive growth and market share in the company’s home and personal care business. Sabrina joined the Hemas group in 2019, where she headed Business Development at Morison PLC, the group’s pharmaceutical and OTC manufacturing vertical. She then transitioned to Hemas Consumer Brands in 2020, where she drove portfolio growth and brand development in emerging categories in beauty and wellness.

Sabrina is passionate about creating brands that innovate and advocate for a more equitable society. During her time at Hemas Consumer Brands, Sabrina has led initiatives to enable the above through product solutions and cause-based marketing in feminine hygiene, inclusive beauty and parenting.

Sabrina is an Attorney of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and holds a First Class Honours from the University of Durham, UK. She also holds a LLM from Harvard Law School. Sabrina has also completed the Owner President Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Ms. Thamali Rodrigo

Partner, Head of Restructuring, Enterprise Advisory and Corporate Governance, KPMG in Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Thamali is a Partner of KPMG in Sri Lanka. She counts over 20 years of experience.

Thamali Specialisesin Restructuring businesses to face the challenges which arising through generational transformation and growth. There are many large corporates in the country she had led the restructuring process where the businesses are continuing the growth momentum, along with its next generation. Thamali introduced the Family Business Advisory to KPMG in Sri Lanka during 2013 and she leads the Restructuring, corporate Governance and Enterprise Advisory service lines of the firm. KPMG currently is the leading advisor for Family businesses in Sri Lanka

Financial Restructuring is another sepcialisation she had acquired over the years, working with businesses who are struggling with high leverage and mismanagement while assisting such clients to plan and implement new processes to overcome financial distress.

Thamali is a highly experienced audit partner of the firm and specializes in Banking, Finance and Insurance sectors. She has served clients across the industries such as finance, manufacturing, leisure, confectionary, consumer markets, construction, beverages, information technology, real estate and logistics sectors.

Thamali also has strong experience working internationally with many KPMG firms across the glob including presenting in family business forums organized internationally. In 2019, she led the family business training for Middle East and South Asia Region.

Thamali has served in various committees at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and had facilitated many presentations to educated in relation to Accounting/Auditing standards and corporate Governance. She also is part of the faculty of Sri Lanka Institute of Directors in conducting the Board leadership program since 2017.

Thamali is the co-chair of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) – Sri Lanka Chapter. Women Corporate Directors (WCD) is the world’s largest membership organization and community of women corporate board directors. A 501(c)(3) foundation, WCD is a trusted community of directors serving on more than 8,500 public and private boards around the world

Mr. Shalin Balasuriya

Co-Founder & Group Director, Spa Ceylon | Marketing Lead, Janet Group of Companies Corporate Trainer | Motivational Speaker | Brand Consultant.

Shalin Balasuriya is a pioneering force in the personal care and wellness industry, with over two decades of experience building iconic brands and driving purpose-led growth. As the Co-Founder and Group Director of Spa Ceylon, he has helped lead an extraordinary journey since 2009—transforming the brand into Sri Lanka’s premier luxury lifestyle brand and the world’s largest luxury Ayurveda brand, now present in 33 countries and over 140 locations.

He also heads marketing at the Janet Group of Companies, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping key segments within Sri Lanka’s personal care industry.

Beyond his corporate roles, Shalin is a sought-after corporate trainer, motivational speaker, and brand consultant, known for his ability to inspire, energize, and educate teams across industries. His unique speech frameworks, real-world insights, and storytelling approach make him a favorite among audiences seeking to unlock creativity, leadership, and purpose in business.

Recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s most influential professionals, Shalin has received numerous awards celebrating his contributions to branding, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Whether mentoring startups or guiding established organizations, he brings a rare blend of strategy, heart, and vision to every engagement.

Dr. Mihirini De Zoysa

Leadership Coach - Managing Director at Corporate Druids (Pvt) Ltd.

For the last 25 years Mihirini has been working with leaders, teams and organisations, in supporting their development journeysthrough transitions and transformation.

Working with her as a coach, leaders and teams enter into a process of personal and collective transformations. They develop the skills and resilience to navigate crisis and uncertainty, build on a value led life, take mindful actions and decisionsthat elevate not only their life, but also the lives of those around them.

She is well known for her ability to hold space for the unknown, especially when clients find themselves in liminal spaces. Through working with her, clients learn how to identify their stuck stories, holding patterns that no longer serve them, towards reframing generative stories. Into her relational and narrative coaching practice, she brings her experience of working with systems of people, business processes, organization strategy, vision and culture, and communication dynamics.

Mihirini has a special talent for encouraging difficult questions to be asked, paving the way for creative, insightful and practical answers that, in turn, deliver impactful decision-making that transforms both leaders and companies. She is often sought-after to facilitate strategic dialogue in Boardrooms and with large and small groups, and over the last 20 years she has been involved in facilitating many workshops for development agencies such as the UN and World Bank.

She has worked in varied industries, including but not limited to Healthcare, Banking & Insurance, IT, Apparel, Publishing, Telecommunications, Plantations, Hospitality as well as in Non-Governmental Organisations and International Development Organisationssuch asthe United Nations and World Bank.

She is a practitioner-scholar with a Doctorate (DProf) in Organisational Change from Ashridge School of Business and Middlesex University, UK; MSc in Responsibility and Business Practices from University of Bath, UK; and BSc in Economicsfrom University of London, UK.

Mihirini is an EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Counci) and Ashrdge Hult accredited Senior Practitioner Coach. She is also the founder Director of Corporate Druids (Pvt) Ltd and also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Logicare (Pvt) ltd,, CAL Partners, CAL Securities and Ceylon Tea Brokers PLC.

Mr. R. Ramesh Prasad

Founder - Onefluencer NLP Training & Coaching.

Ramesh Prasad is the founder of Onefluencer, an NLP Training & Coaching organization dedicated to facilitating individuals become powerful change agents of disruptive times using the versatile tools available through Neuro Linguistic Programming. He is an international NLP Master Trainer, Coach and Facilitator. He is also the International Ambassador to ANLP International CIC UK representing India & Sri Lanka.

Coming from a rich corporate back ground of 22 years, across large MNC firms in the space of Food, Pharmaceuticals, Hospital, Banking and 16 years as an entrepreneur Ramesh specialises the usage of NLP & coaching in work, business, personal space, relationship and life.

Ramesh currently engages people from all walks of life, leaders, senior managers, thought leaders as well as everyday people of influence who are changing the worlds in which they live and work, with the sole purpose of living the principle of a servant leader. His work takes him to different parts of India, Sri Lanka, The UK, France and South Africa supporting delegates internationally.

Ms. Chethana Liyanage

Chief Talent Officer - Capital Maharaja Group

• Chethana Liyanage began her career as a News Presenter and News Coordinator at TNL TV right after completing school. A few months later, she joined MTV, now known as Sirasa TV, as its first News Anchor while pursuing a B.Com Special degree at the University of Colombo’s Faculty of Management & Finance. • Chethana was the main Sinhala News Anchor for Sirasa TV and presented main news all 5 week days for 10 years which is a record in Sri Lankan television news history • In 2005, Chethana changed her career to Human Recourses and was assigned as the Manager - Training of MTV/MBC – the media arm of the Capital Maharaja Group . In 2010 she was promoted as the Manager Training & Development of the Capital Maharaja Group which has staff strength over 5000 and comprises of over 20 companies covering media, industrial, services, and manufacturing. Later she was elevated to the position of Director - Talent Management of the Capital Maharaja Group in 2015

Recently she was appointed as the Chief Talent Officer of the Capital Maharaja Group. Apart from serving to all group companies, currently she Heads the educational arm of the Capital Maharaja Group -the Maharaja Institute of Management (MIM) • Incidentally, Chethana also serves as a guest speaker ,visiting lecturer, panelist and trainer at forums, universities , educational institutions in areas covering talent development, performance management, career guidance, leadership, news anchoring, professionalism in electronic media, presentation skills etc. • She authored the book -Nokiyu Prawurthi in 2018- (News Untold) covering experiences related to news anchoring for 2 decades.

Chethana holds an MBA and a B.Com (Special) degree, both from the University of Colombo’s Faculty of Management and Finance, and professional qualifications in Human Resource Management from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka. • She is a member of the Association of Human Resources Professionals in Sri Lanka and an Executive Committee member of MBA Alumni Association – University of Colombo. • Chethana has been the recipient of State awards, Sumathi , Raigam, Sri Lanka Journalism awards and many and other accolades for exceptional news anchoring for several years. • She was a recipient of top 50 professional and career women awards Sri Lanka and Maldives in 2021 organised by Women in Management , IFC and Australian Aid in 2022. • In 2023 she won the most converted - Executive of the Year- Award at the annual convention of the Capital Maharaja Group

Mr. Mayura Malagala

Human Capital Consulting, Engineering AI & Data, and Growth Office Leader - Deloitte Sri Lanka & Maldives

Mayura possesses over 24 years of experience in Enterprise Application Design & Delivery, Solution Architecture, Business & Technology Consulting, Program Management and Software Engineering for Clients operating in the Professional Services, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, CPG, Retail, Financial Services, Travel & Hospitality Services Industries. He provides Subject Matter Expertise for Digital Transformation initiatives of key Clients and has an excellent track record of delivering results in markets such as the United Kingdom, Middle East and Asia. Key knowledge areas include the top tier Enterprise Solutions such as Oracle, SAP and Microsoft Dynamics combined with a strong knowledge of ERP, HCM, CRM, Analytics, Mobility, IoT and AI/ML solutions. Special interest in supporting Clients to unify their business processes using Cloud Applications & Technology.

Prof. Pavithra Kailasapathy

Professor at the Department of Human Resources Management at the University of Colombo

Pavithra Kailasapathy is a Professor in Human Resources Management at the Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She was the Head of the Department of Human Resources Management from 2010-2013 and from 2017 until April 2019. She graduated from the University of Colombo with BBA degree and has Master’s degrees from the New School for Social Research, New York and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA and PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Pavithra is a Chartered Member of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka. From 2013 Pavithra was an Associate Editor of the South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management and from 2021 the Editor-in-Chief. Her research interests are in the areas of work-family conflict and gender issues in organisations. Pavithra lectures in areas such as HRM, Research Methodology, and Gender Issues in Organisations. She is a reviewer of papers for many local and international journals and conferences and has published research papers and book chapters locally and internationally

Mr. Rajitha Kariyawasan

Managing Director at Haycarb PLC.

Mr. Kariyawasan is a member of the Hayleys Group Management Committee and the Main Board of Hayelys PLC. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Haycarb PLC (Purification Products Sector) and Deputy Chairman of Dipped Products PLC and Hayleys Fibre Plc, two other key export manufacturing sectors of Hayleys Plc.

He is a member of the Board of Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (Private) Ltd., (SLINTEC) representing Hayleys. Mr. Kariyawasan holds a BSc Engineering (Electronics and Telecommunications) from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. (FCMA/CGMA). Also he is a Six Sigma (Continuous Improvement Methodology) Black Belt, certified by the Motorola University, Malaysia.

Before joining Hayleys, he held the position of Director/General Manager of Ansell Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a leading multi-national manufacturing operation in Sri Lanka in the export of surgical & industrial gloves. He has served as the Chairman of the Manufacturing Association of Export Processing Zone, Biyagama too. Mr. Kariyawasan has a vast experience in export manufacturing industry and in international B2B marketing. He is passionate in developing successful teams in the direction on value addition and organic growth. Has shared the knowledge at many forums/panels and has been a guest lecturer in many University and Professional events. He is a nature lover, passionate on wild life photography as a pastime.

Mr. Dilshan Wirasekara

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer at First Capital Holdings

Investment banker by profession with a career spanning over 29 years, comprising diversified expertise in financial services including me banking treasury and investment management, capital market strategy and corporate finance advisory services. An alumnus of INSEAD having completed his Executive Professional Education in INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. He is also an Alumnus of AOTS, Tokyo, Japan. He specialises in Asset and Liability Risk Management having secured the accolade of leading and representing two Sri Lankan companies in winning the International Bank and Asset and Liability competition organized annually by Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO, German Investment Corporation (DEG) and Proparco- a subsidiary of Agence Française de Development (AFD).

Other current appointments :- Chairman – Colombo Stock Exchange Deputy CEO, Janashakthi Group

Previous Appointments :- General Manager of Softlogic Capital PLC guiding investment and trading portfolio management across subsidiaries inclusive of the Group’s Licensed Finance Company, Composite Insurer and Equity Brokerage. Head of Treasury at Nations Trust Bank PLC.

Dr. Samitha Perera

Past President CIPM / Chairman at Lanka Sathosa Ltd.

Dr. Samitha Perera is a results oriented and charismatic leader with a proven track record of leading and managing organizations across industries, from FMCG to diversified conglomerates. He is currently the Chairman of Lanka Sathosa Ltd. Previously, he held the position of Regional Director/CEO/Director at CBL Foods International, with a reputation for having a growth mindset and integrity. 30 years of well-rounded expertise in corporate strategy development and execution, business transformation, brand building, regional business development, and supply chain optimization with robust people management platforms. Qualified in marketing, industrial engineering, and management accounting with associations with brands such as Munchee, Ritzburry, Caltex, Coke, CTC, BAT, and Haylese in the capacity of a C-level professional.

Eng. Gamini Nanda Gunawardana

ICT, HR and Management Consultant, Thought Leader.

Eng. Gamini Nanda Gunawardana received his first Degree from the Faculty of Engineering – University of Peradeniya in 1980 and his MBA from the University of Colombo. He is a Member of several professional bodies such as IESL, CSSL, BCS, IDPM etc. Eng. Gunawardana has served on many Boards of Directors and given guidance to several Organizations, Public Sector Corporations, Ministries and Donor Agencies. He has served as a Faculty of Engineering Board member several times.

His areas of interest are Strategic Management, Human resource Development, Innovation and Process optimization, Information Technology. He is a regular contributor to National News Papers and a frequent guest on TV and Radio Shows. He is the author of weekly column “Sixth Sense” on Daily Mirror paper. Engineer Gunawardana is a “Thought Leader” and a “Social Activist” with a broad spectrum of knowledge. He was the founder member of apolitical professional movement – United Professionals Movement (UPM) to actively engage in national issues from an independent stand point.

Strategic Level Corporate Leadership development program crafted by him for a multinational company was recognized as “Asia's Best Leadership Development Program - World HRD Congress - August 2013”. With his wide knowledge, experience and exposure he can contribute effectively in diverse roles such as a Chartered Engineer, Corporate Director, Strategic Management, HR & ICT Consultant, Corporate Trainer, Thought Leader, Inspirational Speaker and a Mentor.

He prefers to identify himself as a “Humane Engineer” than a practicing traditional engineer. His passion in life is sharing helping others to grow to their full potential. His life line is; “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants – quote by Sir. Isaac Newton”

Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri

Past President CIPM, Senior Professor in Management and Former Director and the Chairman of the Board of Management at PIM.

Senior Professor Ajantha Dharmasiri, a leading “pracademic” with industry and academic presence, has a combination of being a Chartered Manager, Chartered HR Professional and a Chartered Electrical Engineer. He is acclaimed as a conference speaker, corporate trainer, strategy consultant and scholarly author. He is the first home-grown Senior Professor in Management of the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka and was a Director / Chairman of the Board of Management of it. He became the first Sri Lankan to lead both the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) – Sri Lanka Chapter and Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). He has been an Adjunct Professor at Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma. He was the editor of the pioneering Sri Lankan Journal of Management (SLJM). Being a Commonwealth AMDISA Doctoral Fellow, Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow, and a Commonwealth Postdoctoral Fellow, he is also an independent director of several boards. Prof. Dharmasiri likes to identify himself as one who transitioned from being an “Engineer of Electrical” to an “Engineer of Hearts and Minds.”

Ms. Oshana Dias

Chief People Officer - Fortude

Oshana has over 18+ years of experience in Human Capital Management and helping global organizations align their employees to the business's vision and objectives in multiple industries, including technology and apparel.

Oshana specializes in global HR/Talent Development. She helps individuals develop key leadership skills through training, consulting, and coaching, specifically in Career Development, Team Development, Strategic Thinking, Change Management, Organization Culture, Diversity & Inclusion and Holistic Wellness.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Wales, for which she was awarded 1st class honors. She topped her batch with the gold medal for the best academic performance. She also holds a Master of Science in Human Resources and Training from the University of Leicester.

As an EXCO Member of the Association of Human Resource Management, she has worked with many organizations such as the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) on various training/knowledge sharing sessions to uplift the HR community in Sri Lanka. Oshana is also one of the first members to be certified in SHRM-SCP in Sri Lanka, including as a trainer.

In addition, she is a Professional Coach with PCC accreditation from the International Federation of Coaching. She pursues this passion as a freelance coach. Oshana was recognised among the winners of the ITL Awards 2024, spearheaded by Software Verdict, for Inclusive Talent Leadership. As an industry thought-leader, she is a sought-after speaker at international events, including the SHRM India Annual Conference and Great Place To Work events.

Her passion is developing people and bringing the best out in them.

Mr. Priyantha Ranasinghe

President CIPM, Chief People Officer at Siam City Cement Lanka Ltd - Insee

Mr. Priyantha Ranasinghe serves as the Chief People Officer of INSEE Cement Sri Lanka and counts over 30 years of experience in the field of Human Resources Management having held senior HR positions in Multinational and local companies Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Malaysia.

He has a Master’s in Business Administration from Ashbourn University, UK and a National Diploma in Human Resources Management from IPM Sri Lanka. He also possesses a postgraduate level certificate in HR Management from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

He is a licence holder for Psychometric Tests, trained by Thomas Group UK and also a certified practitioner by LUMA group USA on “Design Thinking”. He has also been extensively trained in USA, Europe, Asia and middle East on modern HR tools and practices.

He has directly worked with Global Consultation companies such as Boston consultancy group, Mercer, Towers Watson, Stuart Spencer, Korn Ferry, Phoenix, Emeritus and Hay group. Prior to INSEE cement he was employed at Coca-Cola Sri Lanka as the HR Director. He is serving as the President of CIPM and also a forum member of OPA Sri Lanka.

Ms. Wasanthi Stephen

Council Member, CIPM / General Manager and Group Chief Human Resources Officer - Janashakthi Group - Moderator

Wasanthi Stephen brings over 24 years of extensive experience in the Human Resources industry in Sri Lanka. Her expertise spans talent management, employee relations, industrial dispute resolution, mentoring and counseling, strategic HR planning, and learning and development. She has worked across diverse sectors including hospitality, real estate, telecommunications, manufacturing, financial services, and insurance. Her career includes roles includes in some of the large companies such as Sri Lanka Telecom, Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, John Keells Holdings, and Shangri-La Hotels Colombo and Hambantota.

Currently, Wasanthi serves as the General Manager and Group Chief Human Resources Officer for the Janashakthi Group (JXG), where she oversees HR operations for Janashakthi Ltd, First Capital Holdings PLC, Orient Finance PLC, Janashakthi Insurance PLC, Janashakthi Business Services (Pvt) Ltd, Beckett Capital (Pvt) Ltd, and Janashakthi Corporate Services Ltd.

In addition to her legal background as an Attorney-at-Law, she holds an International Master of Business Administration from Canterbury Christ Church University (UK). She is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and a Professional Member of the Association of HR Professionals. Wasanthi is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and holds memberships with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) USA and the ICF Colombo Chapter. She is a Life Member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Janaka Kumarasinghe

Past President CIPM / Executive Director at Kentridge Pvt Ltd.

A human resource and organisational developer, he is a thought leader in HRM. A past president of CIPM Sri Lanka and Asia Pacific Federation of HRM, he has earned his B. Com (Colombo), MSc(National University of Singapore) and completed CMA (Australia). A visiting lecturer in HRM at University of Moratuwa in their master's degrees , he was awarded the CIPM Gold Medal in 2008 for his outstanding contributions to the field of HRM. Also, currently he serves as Senior Independent Director of Vallibel Finance PLC.

Ms. Dulani Nissanka

Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Abans PLC.

Ms. Dulani Nissanka is a prominent HR professional with over 20 years of experience in the corporate sector. Ms. Nissanka is spearheading the Group Human Resources function of Abans Group, a renowned conglomerate with over 10,000 employees, as the Group Chief Human Resource Officer. In her role she’s facilitating the organization in its journey of enhancing lives of Sri Lankan community, by adopting globally acclaimed HR practices in building leadership, talent and culture.

Ms. Nissanka has lead the HR transformation journey at Laugfs Group, one of the largest diversified business conglomerates in the country, as the Director / Group Chief Human Resource Officer, bringing in Best HR practices to the group, to facilitate its journey of expanding and empowering people as a trusted Sri Lankan brand. She has spearheaded the Human Resources function at Metropolitan Group of Companies, one of the foremost business houses in the country as General Manager – Group HR, having extensive experience in aligning Corporate HR strategies with business goals in driving the business forward.

She holds a B.Sc. degree in HR with first-class honors as the batch top from University of Sri Jayewardenepura, an MBA in Human Resources Management from University of Colombo, and Chartered Management Accountants of Australia.

She has served in the Councils of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) and Association of Human Resources Professionals (AHRP) of Sri Lanka. She is a Chartered Member of CIPM, and a Professional member of AHRP and Society for Human Resources Management USA. Ms. Nissanka was a visiting faculty member of Colombo University - MBA program and a notable guest speaker at many national universities and professional forums. She has a strong passion for serving the community and a Member of the Rotary International and the President of Rotary Club of Cinnamon Gardens for year 2024/25.