FOREWORD
TYPICAL QUINTESSENCE
Hemaka Amarasuriya pays tribute to LMD’s contribution to Sri Lanka’s corporate sector and beyond
It’s early 1994. The business sector, a key driver of the trepid Sri Lankan economy, is in the doldrums. There is no sparkle, not even in the region. Tired old men with tired old ideas rule most of Asia. No Mao Zedong nor Deng Xiaoping; no Mahathir Mohamad nor Lee Kuan Yew.
Where have all the leaders gone?
This was a time when there was nothing to write home about. And this was when Hiran Hewavisenti and his team decided that they would create some hype and excitement within our own landscape – ‘let’s portray our business sector the way it needs to be.’ Cherchez le creneau or ‘look for the hole and then fill it.’
The country needed a quality business magazine to establish the potential that lay masked inside the burgeoning private sector and so LMD was born. And in the 30 years since, a unique product has emerged with professionality and ingenuity while blending commercial knowledge with quality journalism.
Let’s examine what LMD has achieved since then.
It led a bold campaign to eliminate corruption in our country. No followers have emulated this but the idea lingers on, seeking a change of heart amongst us.
Emerging SMEs, hitherto unheard of, found their place in the sun as LMD introduced these groups through feature articles.
Let’s remember that the first Asian Tiger nations – Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan – having transitioned from agrarian societies, gave prominence to linking small businesses with big ones to build capacity for export led growth.
To recognise local entrepreneurship, LMD dedicated its cover to dynamic businesspeople. In the local context, to appear on the cover of LMD was a new measure of business success.
Next, the magazine chose to feature stars such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Susanthika Jayasinghe and Tharushi Karunarathna on its cover, demonstrating how rural sportsmen and women – when given the encouragement – can match or better the performance of those in the metropolis.
In its latest venture, LMD International showcases the remarkable achievements of Sri Lankan migrants across the globe as they outshine the local communities despite their advantaged home environments.
The magazine blends our expatriates together with their counterparts back home, showcasing the collective potential of our young professionals who will one day team together to build a new Sri Lankan nation.
Let’s wish that LMD, with its typical quintessence and quest for the unique, shines through the encircling gloom and continues to serve as a bright light beaming down on our business community.
