Business
SLID’s Young Directors Forum to refresh the boardroom with young talent
The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) recently launched its Young Directors Forum (YDF) with the aim of grooming young talent to take up positions in the Boardrooms of corporate Sri Lanka as well as in the public sector/State-Owned Enterprises. As its inaugural event, the YDF organized an online panel discussion on the topic of “Refreshing the Boardroom: In Conversation with Young Directors”. The panel comprised of Anushka Wijesinha -Economist, Independent Non-executive Director of Seylan Bank, HNB Finance, Fairfirst, Co-founder/Chairman of the Center for Smart Future, Chairman of the YDF and moderator of the panel, Ms. Annika Senanayake-Director of several listed companies and Director, Corporate Planning, IWS Holdings, Sanjay Jayawardena-Founder/Director, Spirit Kitchens, Deshal De Mel-Research Director, Verite Research and Director of several listed companies including Sampath Bank and Janashakthi, all being working committee members of the YDF together with Charaka Perera – Director/COO of Stafford Motor Company-Council Member of SLID and Council representative for the YDF.
“The YDF was established to provide a forum for Young Directors and future Boardroom leaders to engage their minds on topics of interest in performing their roles more efficiently and effectively. The YDF wants to reach out to directors and director aspirants of different types of companies in Sri Lanka – listed and private companies, startups, and eventually public sector SOEs as well” said Anushka Wijesinha.
Responding to a question from the moderator as to why companies are bringing young directors to their boards, panelist Sanjaya Jayawardena said that this occurs due to the need for diversity in helping companies make better decisions. “In addition to the diversity of thought, experience, background, gender, and ethnicity, age is a key element in the notion of diversity. Young Directors are better positioned to provide a fresh perspective, a fresh way of thinking and are less likely to resist change. Today we see a lot of businesses, industries going through rapid change, which has been further accelerated due to the pandemic, and we see companies recognizing the importance of looking at things through a wider lens and getting the right mix in the boardroom”.
“A fair amount of vigor goes into the selection of directors in the financial services sector and when a director is brought in, it would not be because somebody is young, but there would always be a specific skill such as risk management, finance, technology, etc. and she/he is expected to lead with that skill. There is a lot of value that comes with the diversity of thoughts and the ability to bring in different perspectives. There is also an expectation that young directors would have a better grip on newer technologies or newer trends in business such as payment-related technology, fintech, and eCommerce in the financial services sector” said Deshal De Mel bringing about a financial sector perspective.
“Boards are responsible for driving its business forward, keeping it under prudent control, and creating value for all its stakeholders. With digital transformation increasing complexity in business, we are looking at new skills and oversight with more companies engaging with data mining, AI, digital applications just to transform the way that they do business and provide their clientele with more digital-centric solutions. Young directors who fall into the category of millennials are digital natives, and inherently by the age factor, they have more insight and possibly exposure to the digital sphere. This enables them to provide different perspectives especially relating to the fast-moving technologies that could add value to a wide variety of industries” said Annika Senanayake expressing her views.
Describing the rationale of SLID to initiate the YDF, Charaka Perera said that youth leadership has been seen in all sectors from politics, corporate leadership, NGOs, startups, etc. and that with the rise of youth leaders in Boardrooms, young directors have repeatedly proven themselves. “The primary focus of the YDF is grooming the future Board leadership of corporate Sri Lanka. We believe that through the YDF, we can identify the needs of the younger generation and young Directors who are about to step into the Boardroom for the 1st time and develop and roll out programs that will fulfill these needs” he added.
Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, joins the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) to launch the IESL National Startup Challenge, creating a national pathway for aspiring entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable, investment-ready startups. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurship ecosystem through structured development, expert mentorship and practical support that enables promising ideas to progress towards market readiness and scale.
Launched through the IESL Entrepreneurship Forum at the Dialog Auditorium on 5 October 2026, the competition invites Engineering Undergraduates, Engineering Practitioners and participants in an Open Category for Non-Engineers to submit ideas across 12 innovation verticals aligned with national priorities, emerging technology and market trends, and inclusive innovation. Participants will progress through idea development, pitching, incubation, prototyping, validation, minimum viable product development and business scaling, supported by industry experts, mentors and ecosystem partners. The programme will culminate in a Top 10 selection, with the first-place winner receiving an award of LKR 1 million.
As title sponsor and a key ecosystem enabler, Dialog is contributing practical expertise and resources beyond sponsorship, providing technical expertise, mentors and digital resources to help participating teams develop, validate and scale their solutions. Each of the Top 10 teams will also receive a Dialog Digital Startup Support Package valued at LKR 250,000, comprising selected Dialog digital products and services.
“Dialog is committed to enabling Sri Lanka’s next generation of innovators by connecting entrepreneurial ambition with the technology, expertise and practical resources needed to turn ideas into scalable ventures. Through the IESL National Startup Challenge, Dialog is extending its digital capabilities, mentorship and ecosystem support to help promising teams progress from concept to validation and investment readiness,” said a representative of Dialog Axiata PLC.
Eng. Jasmine Nanayakkara, Chairperson of the Entrepreneurship Forum at the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, added, “The IESL National Startup Challenge is designed to turn innovative ideas into viable businesses by connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with industry expertise, mentorship and continuous practical support. More importantly, it is about creating an ‘Engineer to Entrepreneur’ transformation and nurturing a stronger entrepreneurial culture within the IESL community. By encouraging our engineers and aspiring founders to create, commercialise and scale solutions, we aim to contribute to new ventures, new opportunities and meaningful job creation for Sri Lanka’s skilled and educated next generation. We are grateful to Dialog for partnering with IESL to create this pathway for innovation, entrepreneurship and national economic growth.”
Driving innovation across Sri Lanka, the National Startup Challenge also brings together a strong network of partners, including The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as Ecosystem and Mentoring Partner, Helago as Official Mobility Partner, Helakuru as Official Digital News Partner, and Real Life as Official Climate Action Partner.
The IESL National Startup Challenge represents a collaborative effort to strengthen Sri Lanka’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by creating a structured pathway from promising ideas to market-ready businesses. Applications are now open via www.iesl.lk/announcements, giving aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to access the resources and funding they need to succeed. Applications close on 16th November 2026. For more information, contact mgr.pub@iesl.lk / 071 109 4393.
Keeping a home clean involves more than dealing with one kind of mess. Kitchens face grease and cooking splashes, bathrooms develop soap scum and limescale, while frequently used areas around the home collect marks, fingerprints and everyday dirt.
For households looking to simplify this routine, multi-surface cleaners offer a practical solution by allowing one product to tackle multiple cleaning needs across suitable surfaces.
One home, many everyday messes
In the kitchen, grease, splashes and burnt-on food can build up around hobs and hotplates. Cupboard doors and appliance exteriors can also collect smudges and marks through daily use.
Bathrooms present different challenges, including limescale, soap scum, toothpaste residue and water marks around sinks, washbasins and shower doors.
Even outside these rooms, surfaces such as door handles, baseboards, table mats and PVC areas can require regular attention.
Making everyday cleaning simpler
This is where the versatility of products such as CIF Cream becomes useful.
CIF Cream can help tackle a range of common household cleaning challenges across suitable surfaces, from grease and burnt-on food in the kitchen to limescale and soap scum in the bathroom.
Its uses can also extend to other suitable areas and items around the home, including cupboard doors, appliance exteriors, PVC surfaces and more, when used according to product directions.
For busy households, the benefit is straightforward: a versatile cleaner can help reduce the complexity of everyday cleaning by addressing several common cleaning needs with one product.
Consumers should always follow product instructions and check suitability before using any cleaner on a particular surface.
CIF products are now available at Cargills, Keells, Glomark and Celeste, as well as online through Daraz and uStore, at a retail price of Rs. 900 for 500ml. Shop CIF online at https://ustore.lk/collections/cif or https://www.daraz.lk/cif/
As household routines continue to evolve, multi-surface cleaning provides a simple approach to keeping different areas of the home clean — one versatile solution for many of the everyday messes that come with daily life.
SriLankan Airlines set dreams in motion for 24 young students selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 2026 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad, held in Indonesia from 2 to 7 October 2026, helping make their journey to Indonesia and back an extra special one.
The students were selected through a four-stage national selection process covering school, zonal, provincial and national levels, with the highest-performing students progressing at each stage.
As a special initiative for Children’s Day, the Ministry of Education sponsored the air travel of all 24 students for the first time. Returning to Sri Lanka with an impressive haul of three Silver Medals and 10 Bronze Medals, the young contestants competed alongside students from 23 countries.
SriLankan Airlines was privileged to be part of their special journey, helping make their experience even more memorable as they represented Sri Lanka on the international stage.
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