Q: What are the main challenges that corporates must tackle at this time?
A: At the onset of COVID-19, our main challenge was adopting a virtual workplace – I’m amazed at how quickly we adapted and changed.

However, one of the stark realities of the pandemic is that the virtual trend will continue. This goes beyond unoccupied office spaces to managing employees and morale from a distance, and providing the necessary technology to remain efficient and relevant in the ‘new normal.’ This is our next major challenge.

Our most important learning in this crisis has been to focus on things we can control rather than worry about things we cannot. At the heart of this is the welfare of our people. We must invest in new capabilities that will help us maintain a connection with our employees while empowering them in an increasingly virtual workplace. 

Q: How do you view the ongoing vaccination programme?
A: We cannot effectively plan for the next 12 months without first having a strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19 within Sri Lanka.

Public-private collaboration in planning and following recommended actions for the betterment of the economy will be essential to recovering from the effects of COVID-19 as a nation. The safety and wellbeing of the workforce across industries will remain a non-negotiable priority for businesses and a strong vaccination drive will be imperative to this end.

Q: And how is your company planning for the medium term given the ‘new normal’ era we face?
A: We must first focus on curbing the spread of COVID-19. Following this, when we look at the next two to three years, it is clear that exports will thrive.

Today, as organisations, we need to examine our systems, structures and processes end-to-end. Our goal should be to eliminate waste and rework, further optimise and digitalise workflows so that as individuals, we are efficient, best in class, and physically and emotionally well rested. This will enable Sri Lankan industries to withstand the current recession by creating a runway long enough to recapture the market as economies bounce back.

Our customer markets have already begun to recover as they continue to ramp up their own vaccination drives. The National Retail Federation predicts that US retail sales will grow between 6.5 percent and 8.2 percent in 2021. I am confident that this trend will continue and exports will thrive following the immediate aftermath of COVID-19. This phenomenon is comically known as ’revenge shopping.’