Sheraton Hotel Colombohas got back Chef Ramesh Kularatnam as their new Executive Chef.

Bringing over 25 years of culinary leadership across globally renowned hotels and resorts, Chef Ramesh joins with a remarkable portfolio shaped by his work with leading hospitality brands, including Marriott International, Inter-Continental Hotels Group, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts, and Rosewood Hotels. A proud Sri Lankan, his international journey has taken him across Sri Lanka, Oman, Kuwait, the Maldives, Jordan, Dubai, and India, where he has led diverse culinary teams and crafted exceptional dining experiences.

Chef Ramesh has held several distinguished leadership roles throughout his career, including Executive Chef at Sheraton Kosgoda Turtle Beach Resort and Sheraton Colombo, Executive Sous Chef at Mövenpick Hotel Al Bida’a Kuwait, and Sous Chef at Inter-Continental Muscat, Oman. His experience also extends to prestigious global events and collaborations, showcasing his ability to deliver excellence on an international stage.

Guided by a philosophy rooted in fresh, seasonal ingredients and innovative presentation, Chef Ramesh seamlessly blends authentic flavours with contemporary techniques. His leadership goes beyond the kitchen, fostering team development, operational excellence, and memorable guest experiences.

A seasoned professional in pre-opening operations and an award-winning chef, his accolades include recognition at the Emirates Salon Culinary and Oman Salon Culinary, along with his membership in the Emirates Culinary Guild.

Chef Ramesh will lead the culinary vision at the Hotel, as they continue to elevate their dining experiences with creativity, passion, and world-class expertise.

The IMRA Foundation Guarantee Ltd. has called for applications for the third IMRA Awards 2026, inviting outstanding Muslim women across Sri Lanka to be recognised on a national stage, alongside a growing community of role models celebrated for excellence, leadership and impact. Applications close on 01st July, 2026.

The Awards ceremony for the IMRA Awards 2026, is scheduled to be held on Sunday, 6th September, 2026, at 7.00 p.m. at the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo.

Founded to redefine perceptions and expand visibility for Muslim women in Sri Lanka, the IMRA Awards recognises women who have built careers, created enterprises, advanced knowledge and delivered impact across society, often without the recognition their work warrants. The IMRA Awards also strengthens equality and diversity by celebrating and elevating role models, fostering wider understanding across communities, and building a sustained national network of inspiring achievers.

IMRA Foundation Director, Fathima Aziz, said, “IMRA Awards 2026 is a national call to recognise women whose work is already raising standards in their fields. Women across Sri Lanka are invited to apply, and we urge institutions and communities to nominate the leaders, professionals and changemakers whose achievements deserve to be seen and honoured.”

The Awards are open to Sri Lankan citizens, with application forms available in Sinhala, Tamil and English. The selection process will be managed under a clear and transparent framework. KPMG, as the knowledge partner, will manage the technical aspects of the process, and an eminent panel of judges, drawn from across communities, will select category finalists. Finalists will face an interview panel before final selections are confirmed.

Award categories for IMRA Awards 2026 are Legal, Healthcare, Banking and Finance, Education, Women in Media (including Print and Digital), Hospitality and Tourism, Architecture, Arts and Culture, and Entrepreneurship.

Applications can be submitted via https://forms.gle/v64j47jw1vtSdNkU9. The call for applications follows the IMRA Awards 2025, held on 07th April, 2025, where Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya attended as Chief Guest and presented awards to women achievers recognised across a wide range of fields.

Honourees included writer and publisher Ameena Hussein, Chair Professor of Microbiology at the University of Peradeniya Professor Faseeha Noordeen, wedding styling entrepreneur Hamna Kizar, Director of the Postgraduate Institute of English at the Open University of Sri Lanka Dr. Romola Rassool, National Tennis Champion Saajida Razick, pioneering Television Producer and Director Zeenathul Shyama Yakoob, Architect Shehla Latiff, Lawyer and Academic Shaheeda Barrie, and Education Innovator Rizka Naushad.

Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2025 were presented to Anberiya Haniffa, Sunela Jayewardene, Sivanandini Duraiswamy, and Sandra Wanduragala, founder of Selyn Exporters.

A national storytelling campaign shining a light on the often-overlooked role of women across Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has generated significant engagement across digital and social platforms, reaching policymakers, industry leaders, and wider public audiences since its launch.

The “SHE MATTERS” campaign, an initiative of the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, in partnership with Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) – a programme that supports inclusive economic growth across Asia and the Pacific – brought together stories from women navigating careers in tourism across the North and East, the Central Highlands, the Deep South, and Colombo. Through these geographically diverse narratives, the campaign addressed some of the most persistent structural barriers facing women in the sector: social stigma around hospitality careers, limited access to formal skills pathways, and the absence of visible role models at leadership level.

A podcast series, developed with the Advocata Institute, extended the campaign’s reach beyond the industry. Known for its credibility among policymakers and thought leaders, Advocata provided a platform for in-depth one-on-one interviews that brought these stories to audiences well outside the traditional tourism conversation.

Malik Fernando, Chair, Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, said: “The women featured in SHE MATTERS have navigated real barriers – stigma around working in hospitality, limited access to training, and industries that have not always made space for them to lead. We wanted those realities heard at every level of the conversation, from the industry floor to the policy table.”

The campaign is part of a broader effort to shift how the tourism sector approaches workforce development and representation. As Sri Lanka’s visitor economy continues its recovery and expansion, the Alliance is clear that durable growth cannot be built on a workforce where half the potential talent is structurally sidelined.

Maryam Piracha, Country Director Market Development Facility, further added, “If Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is to compete and grow, it cannot afford to leave half its workforce behind. MDF’s 2024 study highlighted a clear gap in female participation, driven by challenges in both recruitment and retention. In response, SHE MATTERS was designed to help bridge this gap by supporting businesses to attract more women while promoting retention, career growth, and leadership pathways. Expanding women’s participation is a clear economic opportunity, one that can strengthen businesses, improve productivity, and support a more inclusive and resilient tourism sector. Through these combined initiatives, MDF continues to contribute towards building a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable tourism sector.”

SHE MATTERS represents the Alliance’s view that inclusive tourism is not simply a values commitment – it is a competitive one. The next phase of the campaign will focus on translating the visibility generated into concrete action on skills access and career pathways for women across the industry.