Colombo. Wednesday 10 January 2018. Piyumi Kapugeekiyana, Ph.D, the Head of Research at STAX, was recently a finalist and received a special mention for having the ‘Most Original Submission’ within the Professionals Category at the ‘Peter Drucker Challenge’ organised for the 9th consecutive year by the Global Peter Drucker Forum.

The Institute is dedicated to its namesake, Peter Drucker (1909–2005), an Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author, who was frequently referred to as the ‘Father of Modern Management’, authoring 39 books and contributing to countless thought leadership pieces throughout his lifetime. Drucker offered his consulting and advisory services to several major multinationals, including GM, GE, and IBM, while also supporting non-profits, including the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

The competition is aimed at keeping the management philosophy of Peter Drucker alive while introducing it to younger generations. This annual challenge is open to both students and professionals between the ages of 18-35. The guiding topic for 2017 – ‘Human Prosperity in a Changing World’ – attracted 422 submissions from 79 countries.

Through a rigorous three-stage review process, 15 finalists were recognised in each category. The top three winners in each category, as well as Dr. Kapugeekiyana who was the recipient of the  ‘Most Original’ submission in the Professionals Category, were invited to attend the 9th Global Peter Drucker Forum (GPDF) held in Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Kapugeekiyana’s essay on the ‘Battlefield of the Mind’ explored the idea that prosperity is not just a financial notion but one that encompasses the freedom to think unencumbered.

The broader forum, titled “Growth & Inclusive Prosperity”, focused on combating management challenges for private and public sector organisations in the context of a fast-changing, complex and volatile global environment. The event brought together several leading management thinkers, thought leaders and academics from around the world to share their ideas around the topic.