Women in Management and IFC Felicitate Strong, Professional Sri Lankan Women

Over 50 Women recognized at the 6th Professional and Career Women Awards 2016

The 6th Professional and Career Women Awards 2016 ended on a high note recently, with top business personalities, both corporate and small and medium entrepreneurs, as well as civic leaders, walking away with prestigious Gold and Silver honours. The Awards were presented by Women In Management (WIM), partnered by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.

Top awards of the night went to Allianz Insurance CEO Surekha Alles (Career Role Model of the Year), Ceylon Biscuits CEO Sheamalee Wickramasingha (Best Woman CEO of the Year), Maliban Biscuits Managing Director Kumudika Fernando (Business Role Model of the Year), and Chartered Architect Nela de Zoysa (Best International Woman Leader).

Other notable 2016 award winners included mountaineer and adventurer Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, who was honoured as “Trail Blazer of the Year”, while three well-respected pioneers, Asian International School Founder Goolbai Gunasekera, Selyn Founder Sandra Beverly Wanduragala and LOWE LDB Chairperson Lilamani Dias Benson were recognized as “Inspirational Woman of the Year”. The prestigious Judges’ Award was given to a highly accomplished global advocate for children, Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne.

Held for the sixth consecutive year, the Professional and Career Women Awards were presented by WIM in partnership with IFC, and supported by Gold Sponsors Prestige Automobiles (BMW, Mini and Hyundai), Singer and Sampath Bank, and Silver Sponsors Prime Lands Group, Coca Cola 5by20 and Lanka IOC.

The 2016 Awards also witnessed a number of up-and-coming entrepreneurs being showcased, particularly from the North and East, including Benedicta Ponkala Gracian, a palmyrah handicraft manufacturer from Mannar; Karunakiranthan Vigneswary, a dairy producer from the border of Killinochchi and Mullaitivu; J.M. Chandrawathi, the proprietor of Sri Lankan Battick in Ampara; and  VaReSDO Private Limited, a rest stop in Mankulam that offers food and drink and sells handicrafts, and is owned and operated by 21 female shareholders. Additional honours were awarded to Eastern Province Women’s Self Employed Development Cooperative Society, which was recognised as the “Best Women’s Empowerment Project Run by a NGO”.

The “Upcoming Women Entrepreneurs” category also encompassed Anula Ratnayake, a multilingual small business owner who teaches rehabilitated LTTE soldiers skills in handicraft and sewing, Dilhani Iresha De Silva, Proprietor of DHD Handloom, Susan Brohier the Founder and CEO of Event Factory, and Thushani Rodrigo, owner of sustainable fashion brand Todos.

Further, Hyacinth Gunawardena, the Director/General Manager of Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Beach, and Nayantara Fonseka, Creator and Managing Director of Taru Villas, were awarded in the Hospitality category, with Manilka Philips, General Manager of Ogilvy PR Worldwide, and Laila Gunasekera Martenstyn, Vice President of Grant Group, recognised in the “Advertising” category. The “Emerging Leader of the Year” award was presented to Ranmal Ekenayake, Chief Executive Officer of Academy of Design (AOD).

At the same time, Shirani Weerakoon, the Additional Secretary (Development) for the Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs, and R. Wijialudchumi, Secretary for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research received honours in the “State and Government” category. Also important, the hard work of a highly committed campaigner against child abuse, Women Assistant Superintendent of Police (W.A.S.P.) H. M. Lanka Rajani Amarasena was showcased in the “Defense Force and Civil Security” category, with contributions to the “Sports” category by Sri Lanka Navy Woman Communicator M.G.T.U. Egodawela also noted.

Also awarded were, Nilani Seneviratne, Vice President, Citibank Colombo, Dayalanie Abeygunawardena, Chief Operating Officer, Janashakthi Insurance, and Hiranthi De Silva, Vice President for Wholesale Banking, Union Bank, in the “Banking and Financial Services” category. Prof. Mahesha Kapurubandara, Dean/International at Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, and Lakmini Wijesundare, the CEO of Ironone Technologies, were honoured in the “IT” segment, while Dialog Axiata Group Chief Customer Officer Sandra De Zoysa and Microsoft’s Enterprise Marketing Manager Thilanka Abeywardena were recognised in the “Marketing” category, with Nestle Corporate Communications Manager Samantha Mendis awarded in the “Corporate Communication” category.

The 6th Professional and Career Women Awards also significantly raised the profile of “Upcoming Young Leader of the Year” honouree Sandaru Priyanwada Chandrasiri, a visually impaired violinist and University of Visual and Performing Arts graduate from Kurunegala, as well as actress Kaushalya Fernando, in the “Arts and Aesthetics” category. Awards were also given to Nadija Tambiah, Head of Legal at John Keells Holdings, and Farzana Jameel, Senior Deputy Solicitor General at the Attorney’s General Office, for the “Legal” category, as well as Chandi Dharmaratne, Senior Director Human Resources at VirtusaPolaris Sri Lanka, and Samanmali Chandrasiri, Director for Human Resources at Ceylon Tobacco, in the “Human Resources” category.

Meanwhile, “Best Woman Entrepreneur” recognitions were won by Samanthi Ratnayake, Managing Director of Lili Cheese (Pvt) Ltd, Udeni Nadheera, CEO/Managing Director of Liyark Industries in Batticaloa, and Shanthi Liyanage, the Founder/Managing Director of Suwa Shanthi Hospital in Anuradapura, in the Small, Medium and Large Business categories, respectively.

2016 also saw the awarding of Kumari Grero, the Coordinating Principal at Lyceum International School, in the “Education” category, while well-known journalists Sharon Mascarenhas and Nirmala Kannangara received awards in the “Media and Communications” category. Also recognised, Alikie Perera, the Deputy Secretary General/Financial Controller of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in the “Career Achievements in Administration and Management” category, as well as Shehara Jayawardana, Group Joint Managing Director of the McLarens Group, and Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, Managing Director of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (Pvt) Ltd., in the “Supply Chain” category.

Additionally, Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka was recognised as the Best Private Sector Organisation Promoting Women in the Workplace, with the long-running “Piyawara” initiative, from Hemas, was highlighted as Best CSR Programme in the Private Sector for Women’s Empowerment.