Business

SLID and EY organize webinar on “Rising from the Pandemic”

Published

4 years ago

2021/07/9

The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) together with EY organized a webinar titled “Rising from the Pandemic: Challenges, Responses and Learnings” recently to discuss and share insights on the experiences of leading companies and their successful response to the pandemic. Moderated by A. R. Rasiah – Chairman, SLID, the Keynote Speaker at the event was Jonathan Moreno – Chief Strategy Officer, Metro Retail Stores Group Inc., Philippines. Joining him on the panel were top Sri Lankan corporates Hanif Yusoof – Group CEO, Expolanka Holdings PLC, Suren Fernando – CEO, MAS Holdings (Pvt) Ltd and Nalin Karunaratne – Director/CEO, Ceylon Biscuits Ltd and CBL Exports (Pvt) Ltd.

In his keynote address Jonathan Moreno said that the severity of the pandemic can be seen by the ADB conducted survey in Philippines revealing that out of 74,000 firms surveyed, 40% were closed during the pandemic out of which 16% were permanently closed and 78% saying that they have either decreased or stopped staff payments. “In addition to the challenges faced due to quarantine measures, travel restrictions and inadequate tech infrastructure, executive myopia, attitudinal shifts in the workforce, analog mindsets, outdated business models, silo mentality, skills, leadership and capability gaps, transactional relationships with stakeholders, performance management and governance were some of the specific challenges that we faced” and added that Metro Retail responded with strategies to ensure team welfare and security, financial stability, business continuity, moving to scenario-based stress testing, creating new delivery channels, governance, and communication models.

Describing various events in the past which led to strategies being implemented to make the business agile, and lead and think on its feet had helped its successful response to the pandemic, Hanif Yusoof said “as a global organization with a large monthly overhead, our main challenges were the working capital required to keep the system going with potential losses for the next 6 months, health & safety of our employees, and possible delayed payments from customers aggravating the capital requirements” adding that adopting work from home policies and opening hotlines for employee support, involving the Main Board on a weekly basis with management, focusing on the short term when the future is unclear played a critical role in Expolanka’s successful response to the pandemic.

“Amidst many challenges including order cancellations and pushbacks, operational stability, and the large workforce, our approach at MAS in responding to the pandemic was very clear in that our first and foremost concern was to protecting lives and livelihoods of our people which has been our motto and principle. We have set up many top-of-the-line care centers to treat our impacted employees. This employee first strategy has enabled us to build trust and engagement at all levels including at the shopfloor. We also ensured open, honest, quick communication with our customers regarding the impact on their deliveries” said Suren Fernando. He also added that amongst others, the support of the Board including giving management the independence and autonomy to make calls and move on, and digitalization programmes as positive factors in responding successfully to the pandemic.

“With over 6,000 employees, 24-hour manufacturing, 12,000 farmers supplying produce for our manufacturing processes, distributors, and over 150,000 retail outlets who depend on our brands, CBL’s foremost concerns, in our response to the pandemic, lay in ensuring the health & safety of employees, and ensuring food safety & security in fulfilling a large-scale responsibility to the country. We went to the extent of upgrading facilities in hostels where our employees were residing to ensure their health & safety and made certain that we cared for even the families of our employees who were impacted by the virus which enabled us to gain great trust amongst our employees. Furthermore, any changes to the manufacturing facility were done only with the approval and concurrence of the health authorities. We also ensured that our facilities and processes were always in conformance with the SLS and other standards making us ready even for unannounced compliance audits” said Nalin Karunaratne. He added that sticking to the basics and doing the right things, not taking short-cuts even in the most challenging times, and relying on wisdom which overpowers business rationale helped them to successfully face the pandemic.

In his closing remarks, moderator A. R. Rasiah said that the employee first approach including focus on employee health & safety, wellbeing and caring, and livelihood protection which helped to obtain the trust, support, commitment, and cooperation of their people was highlighted by all panelists as the key and foremost strategy that helped them successfully navigate their companies amidst the challenges of the pandemic.

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Business

Sri Lanka betting its tourism future on cold, hard numbers

Published

17 hours ago

2025/12/8

Thilina Walpola

“From Data to Decisions” initiative jointly backed by Australia’s Market Development Facility holds its panel discussion

National Airport Exit Survey tells quite a story

Australia’s role here is strategic, not charitable

In a quiet but significant shift, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is moving beyond traditional destination marketing and instinct-based planning. The recent launch of the “From Data to Decisions” initiative jointly backed by Australia’s Market Development Facility and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, sent an unambiguous message: sentiment is out, statistics are in.

The initiative is anchored by a 12-month National Airport Exit Survey, a trove of data covering 16,000 travellers. The findings sketch a new traveller profile: nearly half are young (20–35), independent, and book online. Galle, Ella, and Sigiriya are the hotspots; women travellers outnumber men; and a promising 45% plan to return. This isn’t just trivia. It’s a strategic blueprint. If Sri Lanka Tourism listens, it can tailor everything from infrastructure to marketing, moving from guesswork to precision.

Tourists have a real sense of achievement after hiking the trail to Ella Rock

The keynote speaker, Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe called data “a vital pillar of tourism transformation.” Yet the unspoken truth is that Sri Lanka has long relied on generic appeals -beaches, heritage, smiles. In today’s crowded market, that’s no longer enough. As SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam noted, this partnership is about “elevating how we collect, analyse, and use data.”

Australia’s role here is strategic, not charitable. By funding research and advocating for a Tourism Satellite Account, it is helping Sri Lanka build a tourism sector that is both sustainable and measurable. Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth linked this support to “global standards of environmental protection” – a clear nod to the growing demand for green travel. This isn’t just aid; it’s influence through insight.

“The real test lies ahead,” a tourism expert told The Island. “Data is only as good as the decisions it drives. Will these insights overcome bureaucratic inertia? Will marketing budgets actually follow the evidence toward younger, independent, female travellers?,” he asked.

“The comprehensive report promised for early 2026 must move swiftly from recommendation to action. In an era where destinations are discovered on Instagram and planned with algorithms, intuition alone is a high-stakes gamble. This forum made one thing clear: Sri Lanka is finally building its future on what visitors actually do – not just what we hope they’ll do. The numbers are in. Now, the industry must dare to follow them,” he said.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Business

New ATA Chair champions Asia’s small tea farmers, unveils ambitious agenda

Published

17 hours ago

2025/12/8

Thilina Walpola

New Chairman of the Asia Tea Alliance (ATA), Nimal Udugampola

In his inaugural address as the new Chairman of the Asia Tea Alliance (ATA), Nimal Udugampola placed the region’s millions of smallholders at the core of the global tea industry’s future, asserting they are the “indispensable engine” of a sector that produces over 90% of the world’s tea.

Udugampola, who is also Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Tea Smallholdings Development Authority, used his speech at the 6th ATA Summit held in Colombo on Nov. 27 to declare that the prosperity of Asian tea is “entirely contingent” on the resilience of its small-scale farmers, who have historically been overlooked by premium global markets.

“In Sri Lanka, smallholders account for over 75% of our national production. Across Asia, millions of families maintain the quality and character of our regional teas,” he stated, accepting the chairmanship for the 2025-2027 term.

To empower this vital community, Udugampola unveiled a vision focused on Sustainability, Equity, and Digital Transformation. The strategic agenda includes:

Climate Resilience: Promoting climate-smart agriculture and regenerative farming to protect smallholdings from environmental disruption.

Digital Equity: Leveraging technology like blockchain to create farm-to-cup traceability, connecting smallholders directly with premium consumers and ensuring fair value.

Market Expansion: Driving innovation in tea products and marketing to attract younger consumers and enter non-traditional markets.

Standard Harmonization: Establishing common regional quality and sustainability standards to protect the “Asian Tea” brand and push for stable, fair pricing.

Linking the alliance’s goals to national ambition, Udugampola highlighted Sri Lanka’s target of producing 400 million kilograms of tea by 2030. He presented the country’s “Pivithuru Tea Initiative” as a model for other ATA nations, designed to achieve this through smallholder empowerment, digitalization, and aligned policy objectives.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Business

Brandix recognised as Green Brand of Year at SLIM Awards 2025

Published

17 hours ago

2025/12/8

Thilina Walpola

Brandix has championed best practices in the sphere of sustainable manufacturing over the years

Brandix Apparel Solutions was recognised as the Green Brand of the Year at the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) Brand Excellence Awards 2025, taking home Silver, the highest award presented in the category this year.

The ‘Green Brand of the Year’ recognises the brand that drives measurable environmental impact through sustainable practices, climate-aligned goals and long-term commitment to protecting natural resources.

A pioneer in responsible apparel manufacturing for over two decades, Brandix has championed best practices in the sphere of sustainable manufacturing covering environmental, social, and governance aspects. The company built the world’s first Net Zero Carbon-certified apparel manufacturing facility (across Scope 1 and Scope 2) and meets over 60% of its energy requirement in Sri Lanka via renewable sources.

Head of ESG at Brandix, Nirmal Perera, said: “Being recognised as Green Brand of the Year is an encouraging milestone for our teams working across sustainability.”