Business
EY powered rapid transformation at English Tea Shop Organic using a comprehensive ESOP model
‘English Tea Shop Organic’ (ETS) brand of Amazon Trading Ltd., established in 2010, has been on a truly transformative journey since implementing a company-wide open book management program in 2015. This was followed by a unique Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) embarked in 2019 to help build a ‘significantly employee-owned organization’.
The ESOP’s Phase 1 in 2019 saw the company granting 15% of the equity stake to employees. ETS just announced the launch of the second phase of the ESOP, increasing the shares allocated to employees up to 30%, thus accelerating the journey of making the company a significantly employee-owned business. Moving towards this model is already paying rich dividends along with an array of benefits for its eligible employees, with the company successfully withstanding the impact of Covid-19, showing solid resilience and rapid growth.
ETS’s aspirations of doing things differently by putting purpose and wellbeing for people at the core of its strategy further flourished with a solid partnership with Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) specialists of Ernst & Young as advisors. The company’s mantra of “Love & Prosperity through Community” has acted as a blueprint on its road to success in specialty and natural food markets in over 50 countries. ETS has won leading international awards for its sustainability approach, including the 2020 Queen’s Award for Sustainability (UK) and the Great Game of Business (USA) All-Star International Champion in 2020.
The ETS ESOP was a custom-made effort by EY to build an inclusive culture and to express good faith through recognizing and rewarding employee efforts by allocating equity ownership in the company considering their good standing tenure of service, individual performance and level of significance in contributing to the organization’s wealth creation. The initiative also opened doors for the voice of the staff to be represented at the board level. This will further enable the company to take difficult decisions such as foregoing short-term benefits to achieve longer-term objectives, with wider support.
At a recent fireside chat announcing the second phase of the ESOP, Ernst & Young Senior Partner and Consulting Head for Sri Lanka and Maldives Arjuna Herath commented: “Where majority of the companies allocate around 5% – 10% of their total issued share capital towards share-based incentive plans, ETS has taken the initiative of allocating a generous 30% of the total issued share capital of the company to a Trust, of which beneficiaries are employees, at zero cost, upholding its commitment to its founding purpose. It’s even more remarkable that even their shop-floor level employees qualify for this scheme after completing just one year of service!”.
Participating in the fireside chat, ETS’s Director Strategy, Niluza Badurdeen, argued that “One of the planet’s most pressing challenges is the rising levels of social inequalities; this is probably the biggest emergency for countries in the Global South. The core purpose of ETS is to be a catalyst in solving this very problem in our industry. The ESOP has helped us get closer to our wealth-sharing endgame of becoming an employee-owned business. By empowering our employees with knowledge and making them business people through our ‘Big Game’, we believe it will truly uplift their passion and commitment in extending great value within our value chain and creating a net positive impact on society and the environment at large.”
MullenLowe Group Sri Lanka (MLG) announced the appointment of Sarah Nasry as Director & Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
In her new role, Sarah will lead both the Finance and Human Resources functions at MullenLowe Group Sri Lanka, playing a pivotal role in shaping the company’s financial strategy and people agenda. She holds a distinguished track record across multiple business disciplines, including Supply Chain, ICT, Administration, Corporate Communications, and CSR. Sarah brings a wealth of experience from her most recent position as General Manager – Finance & Business Partnering at Brandix, Sri Lanka’s leading apparel manufacturer.
Recognised for her strengths in business partnering, financial planning, and strategic decision-making, Sarah is also widely respected for nurturing inclusive, people-centric cultures that foster growth and high performance.
Thayalan Bartlett, Executive Chairman of MLG, commented, “Sarah’s appointment follows an extensive search for the right person to lead our finance division through the next phase of our journey. Her wide-ranging experience and strong leadership credentials give me every confidence that she will continue to strengthen the financial integrity and compliance standards we are known for, and the Board looks forward to working closely alongside her in this journey.”
Sarah also marks a significant milestone for the company, becoming the first female member of MLG’s Board of Directors. She will additionally serve on the MLG Executive Committee (ExCo), reinforcing the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion at the leadership level.
Commenting on her appointment, Sarah said, “I am honoured and excited to join MullenLowe Group Sri Lanka and help steer the company into its next chapter. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at MLG to drive financial strength, champion a people-first culture, and build on the company’s strong legacy of creativity and performance.”
Business
Sun Siyam Pasikudah Named Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award Best of the Best Winner for 2025
Sun Siyam Pasikudah, a boutique luxury resort on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast, is thrilled to announce its recent win at the Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best for 2025, placing it among the top 10 percent of resorts worldwide. This accolade reflects the resort’s commitment to exceptional guest experiences, sustainable practices, and community engagement.
As the world’s largest travel guidance platform, Tripadvisor has unparalleled authority with travelers and diners. This award is based on genuine feedback from anyone in the community who has visited and left an authentic, first-hand review on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period, making it a valuable and trustworthy designation of travelers’ favorites.
Reopened in November 2023 after an extensive transformation, Sun Siyam Pasikudah offers 34 spacious one- and two-bedroom garden and beach pavilions, each featuring bold monochromatic interiors accented with golden tones. The redesign, led by Studio Sixty7, emphasizes a blend of contemporary elegance and local craftsmanship. The resort collaborated with local artisans, showcasing Sri Lanka’s rich talent and cultural heritage.
‘‘We are thrilled to being recognized on par with some of the world’s best resorts. Under just two years since our reopening, this achievement couldn’t be possible with the tremendous effort and support of our world-class team and our guests that keep coming for the unique experiences we offer. We are proud to contribute to Sri Lanka, a destination that is on every traveler’s go-to list,’ said its General Manager, Arshed Refai who has been with Sun Siyam Resorts for over a decade.
OTTO Bathware has received Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) certification from the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI). This certification confirms that OTTO’s sanitaryware meets the highest national standards for safety, durability, and performance. With over 30 years of experience, OTTO Bathware operates under the ADI Group (Art Decoration International Pvt. Ltd.- www.ottobathware.com) and runs a modern 435,000square feet manufacturing facility in Bandaragama. The company has grown to become; South-Asia’s largest decorative ceramic manufacturer/ exporter, Sri Lanka’s second-largest sanitaryware producer, supplying to over 500 retailers island-wide.
“We’re proud to offer sanitaryware that meets national safety and quality standards. We encourage all Sri Lankans to look beyond the price tag and choose products that are certified, tested, and built to last.” said its Chairman, S. H. B. Karunarathne.
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