SLASSCOM appoints Mano Sekaram as Chairman

99X Technology Co-Founder and CEO Mano Sekaram was appointed as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) for 2015/2016 at its Annual General Meeting held last week.

Sekaram counts over 25 years of global experience in IT/Software Management and as an industry thought leader, is a regular representative of Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM industry nationally and globally.

Upon his appointment as Chairman of SLASSCOM, Sekaram outlined his thoughts and vision for the future of Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM industry at the AGM, stressing on the importance of delivering on the promise of building up a vibrant knowledge economy fuelled by the IT sector, which will in turn lay the foundation for Sri Lanka to become a middle income country.

Addressing the pertinent issue of brain drain, he stated: “Sri Lanka should create an asset owning workforce for the ICT industry, which would help eradicate brain drain within the industry. If we can create the same environment that they go looking for in other countries, we can certainly stop this brain drain. We should try to work with regulators and try to provide IT/BPM sector employees with access to housing and other permanent assets.”

He further emphasized on the need to take the Sri Lankan IT/BPM sector to the regions outside the Western Province in order to bring about inclusive growth and reaffirmed the vital role start-ups will play in building up Sri Lanka’s technology landscape, and called for the strengthening of the thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that will serve as the foundation for the 1,000 Start-Up Initiative by 2022.

SLASSCOM is the national chamber for the IT/BPM industry in Sri Lanka and acts as the catalyst of growth for the Sri Lankan IT and BPM industry by facilitating trade and business, propagation of education and employment, encouragement of research and innovation, and by supporting the creation of a progressive national policy framework. It has an ambitious 2022 Vision to become a $5 billion industry, creating 200,000 direct jobs and launching 1,000 start-ups.