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‘Stax Academy’ enabling graduates with global business exposure

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The Stax Academy, an initiative by Stax LLC, a global strategy consulting firm that specializes in delivering actionable, data-driven insights, recently conducted its graduation ceremony for the students of its first course in Colombo. The Academy was established as a platform to upskill future business leaders to take on the challenges of the global economy. The class consisted of 30 students representing various universities across Sri Lanka who successfully completed the four-month certification program.

In his address at the graduation ceremony, Dr. Kumudu Gunasekara, Managing Director, Stax, said, “Due to the current economic condition in Sri Lanka, lots of youth are seeking foreign employment opportunities and leaving our shores. As corporates, I believe that we can support our youth by providing these opportunities within the country so that they have the same overseas experience right here at home.” He also spoke about the importance of being dreamers and not followers. And the importance of dreaming big to achieve individual goals. “Age is not a barrier to achieving your dreams. This is a critical notion to break in Sri Lanka,” he added.

Adding his thoughts, Ruwindhu Peiris, Managing Director, Stax, said, “It is important that our new talent enter the workforce, ‘corporate prepared’ and ‘global ready’. The Stax Academy introduces young talent to modern skill sets demanded by the evolving corporate world. It nurtures and cultivates essential competencies to develop and transform them to be Sri Lanka’s future corporate leaders.”

Kethaka Weerasuriya, a graduate of Edith Cowan University (ECU) Sri Lanka noted that being able to embrace challenges makes you a competitive job candidate in any field. “Teamwork put us outside our comfort zone, and we realized that surrounding ourselves with the best people can help us achieve great things in life.” A student from the National School of Business Management (NSBM), Kavinda Hasaranga who joined the certification program spoke about how they learned many things that they didn’t know about the corporate world and how much they loved the work culture at Stax.

“Through data analytics we learned advanced Excel, and about web creating tools, social media analytics, work cloud, and so on. Even though data analytics was for our skill development, I have been using them for budgeting my personal expenses.” stated Omar Zaneefer, a graduate from the Royal Institute of Colombo (RIC).

A panel discussion was also held in parallel to the graduation ceremony and the panelists included Stax Managing Directors, Dr. Kumudu Gunasekara and Mr. Ruwindhu Peiris; Edith Cowan University (ECU) Sri Lanka Program Convenor/Lecturer, Dr. Anushka Siriwardana; RIC Chief Coordinator, Corporate, Alumni and Student Engagement, Ms. Sharmain Abeykoon; and NSBM Lecturer, Ms. Vageesha Rajapaksa.

The Stax Academy program offers a combination of micro-learnings across specific functional and professional skill pillars needed to establish a successful career in Management Consulting as well as in general industries. The program focuses on delivering practical learning experiences through exposing candidates to different types of workstreams and projects to uncover their strengths and explore their aspirations. The course is centered on the principles of Ikigai with the objective of enabling candidates to explore workstreams that are value-focused, fulfilling, and purposeful.

About Stax

Stax is a global M&A strategy consulting firm headquartered in Boston, USA with offices around the US, Asia, and London. Established 17 years ago, today the Asia office, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka supports its global Private Equity clients. Over the years, Stax has been advising 15 of the Top 20 global Private Equity investors and 25+ Fortune 500 companies. Since its inception, Stax has delivered over 2,500+ client engagements, across diverse industries covering 40+ international markets―Stax LLC inspires organizations to dream big, think outside the box, and complement gut-based decisions with fact-based research. Visit www.stax.com to find out more.



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SLT-MOBITEL driving Sri Lanka’s economic resilience through digital infrastructure

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SLT-MOBITEL marks its triple triumph at the National Business Excellence Awards 2026

Corporate accolades underscore the alignment between its operational excellence and national development

In an era where national competitiveness is intrinsically tied to digital connectivity, strengthening the country’s digital backbone has become an urgent priority. Within this context, the evolving role of Sri Lanka’s leading telecommunications provider, SLT-MOBITEL, offers valuable insight into how technological infrastructure can underpin broader economic resilience.

Telecommunications and digital networks are foundational to economic transformation. By expanding high-speed broadband access, upgrading enterprise cloud capabilities, and bridging the urban-rural connectivity divide, SLT-MOBITEL helps reduce business transaction costs, streamline supply chains, and enable micro, small, and medium enterprises to reach global markets.

Recent corporate accolades further underscore this alignment between operational excellence and national development. SLT-MOBITEL’s triple triumph at the National Business Excellence Awards 2026 – winning in the Infrastructure and Utilities sector, Performance Management, and ICT Services categories – highlights its growing impact. Notably, the recognition of eChannelling’s contributions to digital healthcare reflects a broader strategic pivot toward integrated technology solutions.

“Institutional efficiency of this nature is critical for attracting foreign direct investment, as global partners increasingly assess a country’s digital maturity and systemic stability before committing capital,” noted industry observers.

Moreover, the company’s transition from a conventional telecom utility to a comprehensive digital solutions provider aligns seamlessly with Sri Lanka’s national digitalisation agenda. As the country pursues public sector modernisation, enhanced e-governance, and a competitive knowledge economy, the private sector must step up to deliver secure, scalable, and future-ready networks. Investments in data centres, cybersecurity frameworks, and advanced ICT infrastructure act as strategic buffers, ensuring that Sri Lanka’s economic apparatus remains agile and resilient amid future global uncertainties.

However, industry experts caution that while these achievements are commendable, SLT-MOBITEL still has a considerable distance to cover in fully enabling a truly digital economy.

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Port City Colombo strengthens Gulf investment ties at Dubai diplomatic engagement

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The panel discussion at the engagement

Port City Colombo (PCC) took a prominent role as Platinum Sponsor at the second edition of Sri Lanka Beyond Your Dreams, a high-level diplomatic and investment engagement hosted by the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The event, held on 2nd September 2026 at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, brought together over 400 senior UAE-based business leaders, investors, diplomats, and institutional stakeholders, alongside Sri Lanka’s most senior government representatives.

The gathering was graced by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, as Guest of Honour, and Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. A high-level Sri Lankan delegation – including the Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Board of Investment, the Chairman of the Export Development Board, and the Director General of Commerce – underscored the government’s strong commitment to deepening economic diplomacy with the UAE.

In his keynote address, Minister Herath reaffirmed the centuries-old ties between Sri Lanka and the Arab region, emphasising the UAE’s vital role as a key economic partner. He stressed the urgency of finalising a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE, which would establish a robust framework to elevate trade, investment, and bilateral cooperation. Declaring Sri Lanka “open and ready for business,” he positioned Port City Colombo as the physical embodiment of this economic mission – a modern Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with a dedicated legal framework and competitive incentives, offering UAE investors a natural gateway to South Asia while maintaining strong Gulf connectivity.

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American Premium Water strikes Gold at Dragons of Sri Lanka 2026

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The achievements are particularly significant given that the company’s debut at the Dragons awards has resulted in four Dragons across four categories.

American Premium Water has secured four wins at Dragons of Sri Lanka Awards 2026, including three Gold Dragons and one Black Dragon, marking a significant milestone for the brand following its relaunch last year.

Part of the prestigious Dragons of Asia awards, Dragons of Sri Lanka brings the program’s regional platform to the local market, celebrating creative and effective marketing communications, with entries evaluated on strategic thinking, creativity, execution and impact. Established in 2000, Dragons of Asia is one of Asia’s premier results-driven marketing awards programs.

For American Premium Water, the achievements are particularly significant given that the company’s debut at the Dragons awards has resulted in four Dragons across four categories. In the distinction of Gold Dragons, American Premium Water was recognized across three categories including Product Launch or Re Launch, Cause, Environment or Sustainability and Creative Excellence while the Black Dragon was awarded in recognition of Small Budget.

Competing alongside leading brands and agencies in Sri Lanka, American Premium Water’s four wins demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of its recent work. Winning three Gold Dragons across three distinct categories highlights the breadth of the brand’s achievements, while the Black Dragon for Small Budget further emphasizes its ability to create meaningful impact through focused and efficient investment.

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