John Keells Holdings (JKH) is the largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) with broad-based shareholding, professional management and a robust governance framework that’s integrated into all aspects of its business. Armed with a heritage of over 150 years, and geared by innovation and strategic partnerships, the John Keells Group continues to be a driver and an integral part of the Sri Lankan economy. The group operates in eight diverse industry and sector verticals: leisure, transportation, retail, consumer foods, property, information technology and innovation, and financial and plantation services.

Q: How important is it for businesses to uphold corporate respect in times of crisis?

A: The openness and trust built over the years are what will stand an organisation in good stead during times of crisis, and support the upholding of corporate respect. We have an ‘always on’ approach in our corporate communications that ensures integrity and transparency, and this is no different in times of crisis.

Empowering the communities in which we operate on an ongoing basis – including during a crisis – is one of our priorities. Throughout the year, one percent of the group’s profits are channelled through the John Keells Foundation to focus on medium to long-term initiatives that major on livelihood development, education, health, arts and culture, and the environment.

During a crisis, we go the extra mile on initiatives relating to disaster relief. One significant example is our contribution of Rs. 100 million to the Suwa Seriya Foundation that directly supports its 1990 ambulance service, which provides emergency medical assistance across Sri Lanka – especially in underserved rural areas. By addressing the financial constraints faced by the service, we ensure its sustained operations, ultimately saving countless lives and improving healthcare accessibility.

At the height of the recent economic crisis, we initiated a robust crisis response focussing on food security and education, empowering our underprivileged and disadvantaged communities to not only navigate through the crisis but also develop a self-sustaining model that would continue beyond.

Our businesses are continuously involved in running programmes on sustainable farming and school meals, building trust in our communities through our commitment to working with them to empower our nation for tomorrow.

Q: How does respect within the workplace help to nurture admiration for an organisation as an employer of choice?

A: At John Keells, we believe that our people are our greatest asset, and we strive to maintain an environment where everyone feels respected and valued, and can contribute their best. We are a meritocracy with an equitable workplace culture where we recruit and retain the best persons for the job. We strongly believe that diversity in our teams, and ensuring that we are inclusive, are what strengthen our innovation and decision making.

In 2020, we consolidated all our existing and planned long-term diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives under the brand ‘ONE JKH’ to ensure that we continuously focus on relevant long-term, practicable solutions to increase female participation in our workforce and value chains, strengthen career opportunities for persons with disabilities, and ensure inclusivity of the LGBTIQ+ community.

Last August, the group launched its ‘equal 100 days’ parental leave policy with the objective of eliminating the discrimination associated with recruiting women, due to potential instances of maternity leave. This policy goes hand in hand with our commitment to achieve 40 percent female participation in our workforce.

Alongside this, we have multiple long-term initiatives crafted to help us achieve this goal –  such as employer-supported childcare facilities; women-centric training, mentoring and sponsoring of female talent; and initiatives to increase women in leadership and nontraditional roles. Earlier this year, we launched a road map on supported employment; and since 2015, we have been an ally of the LGBTIQ+ community.

Being open about how we support our talent pool – irrespective of ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability – has helped us in attracting the best talent to build a workforce whose members are passionate about what they do.

“We strongly believe that diversity in our teams, and ensuring that we are inclusive, are what strengthen our innovation and decision-making”

Q: How important is it for corporates to be responsible towards environmental conservation?

A: Considering the alarming plastic pollution crisis in Sri Lanka and recognising the impact that we as a group can have on the environment, we launched Plasticcycle – a social entrepreneurship project focussed on being a catalyst for the significant reduction of plastic pollution in Sri Lanka – in 2017.

Since its inception, Plasticcycle has been able to establish a network of 250 recyclable plastic waste collection bins islandwide. As of April, we have broadened our scope beyond land initiatives by partnering with The Pearl Protectors on their ‘Cleaner Seabeds for Sri Lanka’expedition.

Globally, it is estimated that there are close to one million tonnes of ‘ghost gear’ – lost or abandoned fishing tackle – that cause injury and death to over 550 marine species across the world. Cleaner Seabeds for Sri Lanka gives the opportunity for volunteer divers from across the globe to help remove plastic waste from the seabed, thereby preventing plastic waste from breaking down into microplastics and harming marine life.

Q: Do technological advancements help corporates to maintain respect?

A: While operating businesses in the tech space, we also work to create interest in these fields for young people. Our startup accelerator programme ‘John Keells X’ supports entrepreneurs with funding and industry expertise. We also work closely with universities to provide opportunities for undergraduates to get exposure and experience in the corporate sector.

One example is the partnership between OCTAVE – the Data and Advanced Analytics Centre of Excellence of the John Keells Group – and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the University of Moratuwa. OCTAVE engages talented undergraduates as interns and also works with the university to strengthen its curriculum related to data analytics.

By nurturing and empowering the next generation of professionals, these partnerships foster innovation, drive socioeconomic growth and establish respect for the corporates involved.

A passion to economically, socially and sustainably empower communities, and its diverse array of stakeholders, is entrenched in the DNA of JKH. This commitment has enabled the group to be at the forefront of contributing not only to Sri Lanka’s economic prospects but also its development as a nation.

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QUICK-FIRE ROUND

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Growing your business in an inclusive and sustainable manner
Retaining talent
Cost management

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Transparency
Understanding
Passion

Telephone: 2306000 | Email: jkh@keells.com | Website: www.keells.com