Business
Uncovering the human element in ESG at Kelani Valley Plantations
The challenge of driving meaningful progress in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards hinges on people more than it does processes or policies. That is why organisations that can understand the human element in driving change tend to set the pace in their respective industries.
As a true pioneer among Sri Lanka’s Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) in Human Resources and Sustainability, Anuruddha Gamage, made this realisation early in his career. For more than two decades, he has helped redefine sustainability among one of the largest and most respected Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs). At the core of his approach: people.
A second upper class B.Sc. Agriculture (Hons.) graduate from the University of Peradeniya, Anuruddha joined Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL) as a Plantation Management Trainee in 1999. During the early stages of his career, Anuruddha developed an interest in Human Resources and Sustainability and the need to adopt best practices in the sector, given the unique dynamics of Sri Lanka’s RPCs during this period.
Commencing his MBA specialising in HR Management at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayawardenepura, he soon sought opportunities to incorporate academic learning into his work. Currently, he is reading for his PhD at the Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS), University of Peradeniya and is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Managers of Sri Lanka (FCPM).
Currently functioning as the General Secretary and an Executive Council Member of the Japan Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association (JASTECA) and the Chairman of the JASTECA Institute of Management, Anuruddha was also ranked among the 100 most influential HR professionals in 2018 from World HRD Congress. He is the winner of the “Most Talented HR Leaders” Award from Asia-Pacific HRM Congress Awards in 2017, where he was named a “Catalyst of Change” and “Most Outstanding HR Leadership in Plantation Industry” Award from the South Asian Business Excellence Awards in 2017.
Empowering change
The challenges faced by RPCs are unique. Environmental conditions have a significant impact on performance. At the same time, given its labour-intensive nature, social harmony is essential. The highest possible governance standards are also essential in translating strategy into impactful action on the ground and enhancing the confidence of all key stakeholders.
“When it comes to ESG, each area has to be carefully maintained relative to the others. A really simple way to think of sustainability is like a tricycle. Governance is the front wheel providing direction. Social and environmental factors are the rear wheels – to be equally balanced for momentum,” Anuruddha explained.
“Within this framework, effective knowledge management is critical to create awareness and enhance support among key stakeholders. Without their support, you are just an individual attempting to drive an agenda and are unlikely to achieve sustained change.”
An unprecedented opportunity for transformation
In 2013, his mentor and veteran planter – Dr. Roshan Rajadurai, took over as Managing Director of the Hayleys Plantation Sector, driven by a mission to transform the industry by revolutionising its approach to human resources management.
With the support of his team, guidance and backing from Dr. Rajadurai, one of Anuruddha’s priorities as General Manager – HR and Corporate Sustainability were to develop a comprehensive Strategic HR Plan for KVPL – among the first for Sri Lankan RPCs. After years of patience and persistence, the results of the initiatives he was a part of now speak for themselves.
These programmes have won prestigious global, regional and local acclaim and recognition, including most recently being presented with the ‘UNV50’ award in December 2021 by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) for their contribution to ‘promoting the value of volunteerism through citizen engagement, within the corporate sector in Sri Lanka.’
Creating a knowledge bank
An eternal student at heart, Anuruddha continues to expand his understanding of sustainability, driven through effective human resources and knowledge management.
A series of well-coordinated activities have been carried out as part of the knowledge management efforts. Seeking to motivate learning and knowledge management across all levels of the organisation and even to the public, Anuruddha commenced the “Evening with an Expert @ Hayleys Plantations” micro digital learning series – a programme that is now available online for the public.
Reputed global and local experts, including leaders from Toyota, Japan, have addressed employees on various topics of vital relevance to their work and everyday lives, covering over 2500 effective training hours with the highest training yield ratio of 60%, more than the mean average of the last six years. The first 25 learning sessions are expected to be concluded by April 2022.
Anuruddha’s drive to deliver progress on SDGs 4 and 17 – quality education and partnership, respectively – has been fast-tracked with the ‘Hayleys Plantations Technical Skills Development (HPTDP)’ initiative. The first batch of field staff members graduated from the internal certificate programme, accounting for more than 4,500 effective learning hours and a 95% success rate. This led to Sri Lanka’s first-ever NVQ qualification and Skills Passport for field staff members in tea and rubber estates.
Moreover, Anuruddha leveraged his close relationship with reputed local and international organisations such as AOTS Japan and JASTECA to execute the ‘Global Learning Series’ to provide plantations and corporate management professionals exposure in Japan.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve environmental SDGs
Setting his sights on achieving environment-related SDGs in clean water and sanitation (goal 6), life on land (goal 15) and life below water (goal 14), Anuruddha partnered with key local and international partners such as the IUCN and the Ministry of Environment.
The partnership has led to the development of a new framework on sustainability at KVPL and the launch of the ‘Kelani Valley Protectors’ initiative, which supports the protection of the Weoya catchment in the Kelani river basin under the national ‘Surakimu Ganga’ initiative.
Looking ahead, Anuruddha aims to continue leveraging his vast experience in support of Hayleys Plantation Group’s trailblazing initiatives to set new benchmarks in sustainability and Human Resources Management.
“As a Hayleys Lifecode Champion, my vision is to maximise value for those who depend on us through economic development or by improving the quality of life for our employees, community and society at large.
“As a catalyst of change, it is truly inspirational to work with this passionate team to establish an inclusive working culture, integrate sustainability into strategy and build partnerships that can drive a bigger impact on-ground to make lives better.”
Senior business leaders, economists and international development experts, alongside the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, will headline the Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026, organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on 12 and 13 October at the Shangri-La Colombo.
The Summit will open with a keynote address by T. Krishnakumar, Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, who brings more than four decades of experience in the consumer brands and FMCG sectors. Having previously served as President of Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, with extensive experience in building businesses and driving growth across emerging markets, Krishnakumar, more popularly known as Kk, now leads Reliance Consumer Products as it expands across categories and builds new customer, partnership and market opportunities.
Day 2 will bring together four international perspectives across discussions on economic resilience, regional connectivity, sector growth and digital transformation.
Lilia Aleksanyan, Senior Country Economist for Sri Lanka at the Asian Development Bank, will open the day’s discussions with a focus on Sri Lanka’s economic resilience. Her work covers the country’s macroeconomic outlook, policy advice and macro-fiscal and financial-sector reform. Her international policy experience also includes roles at the French Ministry of Finance and the French Central Bank.
The Summit will then turn to Sri Lanka’s connections with regional markets, with P. D. Singh, Chief Executive Officer, India & South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank, delivering the keynote for the session on trade corridors and value chains. Singh counts close to three decades of experience in banking and finance, with senior leadership roles spanning Standard Chartered, JPMorgan Chase Bank and HSBC.
The Sector Deep Dives will bring international perspectives to discussions on healthcare and energy.
Tushar Shroff, Chief Financial Officer, Zydus Lifesciences Ltd, will deliver the keynote for the healthcare discussion, drawing on more than three decades of experience in corporate finance, strategic investment and financial transformation. His career spans senior finance and leadership roles with ABB, Piramal Healthcare, Intas Pharmaceuticals and Vedanta Group, giving him a broad perspective on the business and investment decisions shaping the healthcare sector.
For the energy-focused deep dive, Edore Onomakpome, Regional Infrastructure Industry Manager for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal at the International Finance Corporation, will bring extensive experience in infrastructure investment and project finance across emerging markets. Since joining IFC in 2013, she has held senior roles across Africa and South Asia, including managing IFC’s infrastructure portfolio across 16 countries.
The Summit will conclude its keynote programme with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who will deliver the keynote for “Nation Building in the Digital Age.” The Prime Minister also oversees the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, bringing a direct policy perspective to discussions on digital transformation, innovation, education and the skills needed for a changing economy.
Together, these perspectives will bring regional, international and policy insight to SLEIS 2026 as Sri Lanka considers how to strengthen economic resilience, attract investment, deepen regional connections and develop new sources of growth.
Held under the theme “Positioning Sri Lanka in a Changing Global Economy: Resilience, Reform, and the Future of Economic Policy,” SLEIS 2026 will take place on 12 and 13 October 2026 at the Shangri-La Colombo.
The Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026 is supported by its valued sponsors and partners. Platinum Sponsor – Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka, Gold Sponsor – VISA Worldwide (Pvt) Ltd., Bronze Sponsor – South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd., Strategic Development Partner – Asian Development Bank, Telecommunication Partner – Dialog Telecommunication, Television Partner – Dialog Television, Session Sponsors – David Pieris Motor Company (Pvt) Ltd., Hemas Holdings PLC, Sunshine Holdings PLC, International Construction Consortium (Pvt) Ltd., Microsoft Sri Lanka (Pvt) Limited, Official Logistics Partner – Hayleys Advantis Limited, Official Airline – SriLankan Airlines Ltd., Official Hospitality Partner – Shangri-La Colombo, Airline Partner – China Eastern Air Holding Co. Ltd.
Registrations for SLEIS 2026 are now closed. The Ceylon Chamber looks forward to welcoming participants to the discussions on Sri Lanka’s future trajectory on 12 and 13 October.
Commercial Bank of Ceylon has launched ‘Prestige’, a three-tier banking proposition aimed at high-net-worth (HNW) clients, combining wealth management, advisory services and lifestyle benefits.
The initiative replaces the bank’s existing ‘Elite’ private banking brand with Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond tiers, designed to cater to customers according to their wealth profiles and banking relationships.
The bank said Prestige would provide dedicated relationship managers, priority branch services, preferential rates on loans and deposits, enhanced card privileges, family banking programmes and offshore account solutions.
Its wealth and investment management services include access to capital-protected income solutions, dual-currency investments, institutional deals and estate and portfolio governance.
Clients will also have access to specialist financial and corporate advisory services, including assistance with international relocation, overseas property and capital repatriation.
The programme includes lifestyle benefits such as VIP airport lounge access, travel concierge services, property management and medical coordination, as well as access to selected art and culinary events.
The bank said its flagship Prestige banking residence at R.G. Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 07, had been refurbished, with the service to be extended to other economically important cities.
Commercial Bank Managing Director/CEO Sanath Manatunge said Prestige was intended to support customers in managing their wealth, business interests, family needs and long-term legacy.
Existing Elite clients are being transitioned to the new programme, the bank said.
Ceylinco Life has rewarded 80 members of its sales force with overseas tours to Vietnam and China for their outstanding performance in the company’s 2025 sales competitions.
The group comprised 62 sales achievers who travelled to Vietnam and 18 who visited China.
The Vietnam tour included visits to Hanoi’s Ho Chi Minh Complex, One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Hoan Kiem Lake. The group also travelled to Ha Long Bay, where they went on an Aurora Cruise and explored attractions including Sung Sot Cave, Luun Cave and Titop Island.
The tour also featured a sunset party aboard the cruise, with music and refreshments.
The 18 achievers who travelled to China visited several of Beijing’s major historical and cultural attractions, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. They also took a boat ride on Kunming Lake.
A highlight of the China tour was a visit to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, including a round-trip cable car ride. The group also attended an acrobatic show at Chaoyang Theatre and visited the Panda Garden at Beijing Zoo.
The company said the tours were organised to recognise and reward sales personnel for their performance and achievements.
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