Demonstrating Inspirational Leadership: Dr. Niroshan J. Pieries Appointed as Cluster Director/CEO of LAUGFS Gas
Truly great leaders transform teams, create and manage effective processes, and help their employees grow. With over 20 years of corporate exposure, Dr. Niroshan J. Pieries is recognised as an inspirational leader guiding many local and international brands to their success. In a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Niroshan boasts vast experience across numerous industries – from Shipping and Logistics, to Banking and Finance; from Insurance and Telecommunications, to Power and Energy.
Having joined LAUGFS Lubricants as their Chief Operating Officer, Niroshan oversaw the national operations at LAUGFS Lubricants initially. Showcasing a panache for service excellence through relentless dedication, He rose through the ranks, and in 2020 was appointed as the Director/CEO of LAUGFS Lubricants – becoming the youngest CEO within the ever-expanding Sri Lankan lubricant industry. Having purview over the LAUGFS Car Care brand and the Southern Petroleum companies, He played a significant role in driving the growth and success of LAUGFS, transforming the brand into a globally recognised, highly profitable and sustainable business. As a result of his continuous dedication and exemplary performance, in March 2023, Dr. Niroshan was appointed as the cluster Director/CEO of LAUGFS Gas.
As a firm believer of ‘working smart’ and the concept of ‘strategic agility’, Dr. Niroshan echoes the belief of finding a way to do things differently, while ensuring the best possible outcome. He believes that continuous disruptive innovation is a must for any business to thrive in today’s challenging, and highly volatile socio-economic environment. Dr. Niroshan’s main business ethos is based on the concept of ‘resourcefulness’ – as he believes it is what separates a successful business from one that struggles. He believes optimising resources and strategically targeted investments drive value creation by enabling the business to expand their reach while best utilising the assets at hand.
Dr. Niroshan stands out amidst the sea of corporate leadership due to his constant efforts at sharing his vast knowledge with the rising generation of future leaders. He is recognised as an inspirational leader, with values driven from a deep sense of purpose – that of driving positive change. Having inculcated an organisational culture based on the fundamentals of sharing skills and expertise through brainstorming and thought mapping, He strives to solve cross-cutting business issues through guided internal ideation; enabling internal development while propelling organisational optimisation.
As the CEO of LAUGFS Lubricants, Dr. Niroshan was able to transform a struggling business to one that is highly profitable and sustainable at its core. Awarded as the ‘People Leader – Marketing’ in 2017, He led LAUGFS Lubricants to be recognised as the ‘Best Turnaround Brand’ for the year 2020. Despite the challenging macroeconomic conditions brought about by the pandemic, the company was able to execute its expansion strategy by establishing its presence in Bangladesh in 2022, opening its corporate office a year later, while further expanding its operations to the Maldives. Recognised for his efforts in transforming LAUGFS Lubricants into a strong, unique brand, he was named as the ‘Business Transformation CEO’ for the year 2022.
Dr. Niroshan, who holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK, as well as a Certified Management Account, has placed greater focus on educating tomorrow’s leaders. To this extent he serves as a senior lecturer and panelist for top leading universities, both locally, and internationally (PIM University, UWS).
Sharing his thoughts on what drives both the Company, and himself as an individual, Dr. Niroshan stated,
“I have always believed that the most fundamental concept in leadership is the ‘law of the lid’. This essentially means that an organisation is only as good as its leader. With this in mind, I have always worked hard to integrate a sustainable business model that thrives on the empowered individuals that make up the workforce. These individuals enable the business to overcome an uneasy, volatile business environment, and thrive amidst the many challenging macro-economic conditions. We keep close to our heart the understanding that customers will always seek out a brand that they can trust; one that they can truly rely on; one that will always strive to add value and ensure excellence in customer service, built on the tenet of securing customer satisfaction. This is what drives us to success as we embark on the next steps of our corporate journey.’’
As one of Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerates, LAUGFS believes in purposeful leadership to deliver consistent and sustainable value. With a burning desire to represent a truly Sri Lankan identity, the company constantly strives towards empowering its employees to achieve global excellence, sustaining a culture where their employees can thrive. The company has an ‘intrapreneurial’ culture that encourages innovation, creativity and leadership to continuously push boundaries, making it a great place to work.
LAUGFS Holdings Limited is one of the largest diversified business conglomerates and a trusted and well-loved home-grown business in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1995, LAUGFS today has expanded across 20 industries in Sri Lanka and overseas, establishing a strong presence as a leader and pioneer in the power and energy, retail, industrial, services, leisure, and logistics sectors.
