Q: Could you tell us about LIMRA Holdings and its business strategy to help the local economy?

A: LIMRA Holdings is one of the fastest growing, midsized local multinational groups in Sri Lanka. It has been in operation for 30 years and has over 10 subsidiaries with business spread across the AI, IT security, energy, mother and baby care, toys, e-commerce, smart and physical security, and talent transformation verticals. Our cluster companies include EGUARDIAN Lanka, Kiddies & Toys International and DCS International.

LIMRA Holdings also has a global footprint through strategic joint ventures in Singapore, Malaysia, India, Oman and Bangladesh.

Progress is possible only when you challenge the status quo and explore the possibilities of the future. We take pride in our unique ability to identify and respond to evolving customer preferences, enabling us to become a dominant force in our business sectors.

LIMRA Holdings – which is ISO certified – has the appropriate governance in place with a robust B2B and B2C customer portfolio, an international footprint with strategic partnerships, manages over 25 world-class international brands and six local brands, and has been certified as a great place to work by Great Place to Work Sri Lanka.

We aim to imprint the Sri Lankan identity in foreign markets by creating different value propositions. We’re on the verge of obtaining a patent for innovative and AI driven frameworks, and positioned to unveil a new promise through our own mother and baby care brands.

The group remains dedicated to its vital role in the local economy to identify, invest, acquire and manage businesses in different industries – both locally and internationally.

Q: How has the post-COVID environment impacted the group and the industries it operates in?

A: Growth is necessary for organisations and economies to survive and thrive, and future growth must be both sustainable and inclusive. While the journey will be challenging, it is possible.

We have introduced solutions that require innovation and collaboration, within and across organisations, accelerating the ability to grow through advances in technology and capabilities, spurring innovation, and bringing people along in equitable and inclusive ways.

As businesses struggle to make sense of the post-COVID corporate environment, many find themselves leading from a grey area of indecision. We boldly drove transformation initiatives by identifying competitiveness and workforce resilience as the benefits of gearing digital transformation.

This transformation has led to improved results in building stronger customer relationships and partnership opportunities. Old barriers are overruled by unrelenting disruption, rapidly evolving customer expectations and an unprecedented pace of change. There also seems to be renewed clarity in perspectives. And motivation is not aspirational – it has become existential.

Q: Who is at the helm of LIMRA and what is his long-term vision for it?

A: Leadership is not merely about a title but collaboration and inspiration. We foster a culture of leading by example, improving individual potential to achieve collective goals.

Our group comprises more than 250 team members across over five locations worldwide. They provide the diverse set of skills required to drive our business forward, combined with the foundation of integrity set by LIMRA Holdings.

Our Chairman Nabhan Akeel is a self-motivated and resourceful senior executive with verifiable success in building businesses, innovation and driving profitable growth. He has propelled companies from the startup level, leading them to become market leaders in their categories even in rapidly changing environments. He has extensive experience in highly engineered systems, which requires a deep understanding of critical business drivers in multiple markets and industries.

Possessing an engineering degree from the University of Moratuwa, he has knowledge in management, accounting and logistics, nearly 30 years of corporate experience, and experience in building profitable relationships with customers, suppliers and stakeholders from around the world.

Q: How do you offer customers access to local and global products?

A: Through its subsidiaries, LIMRA Holdings manages and distributes over 25 global brands and six of its own brands through its portfolio. The group companies in the mother and baby care cluster and the IT sector have developed local brands to meet international standards.

Among the international brands we represent are Fortinet, ESET, UiPath, Nutanix, CP Plus and Arista in the IT cluster, as well as Farlin, Lego, Barbie, Mattel, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Step2 and Faber-Castell in the mother and baby care cluster.

Q: What plans are in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond?

A: A key pillar of the group’s success has been value addition through its internal and external stakeholders, including its dedicated, loyal and dynamic team. Today, LIMRA is proud of its strategy of sustainable diversification within its operational clusters, reflecting a balanced approach to managing risks and opportunities.

Our operations have been gaining momentum and we believe in leveraging this to fuel our ambition to steer the group in creating greater value by penetrating many demographics internationally.

Through these trying times, the group remains committed to expanding its IT presence in the SAARC region and the Middle East, while its mother and baby care cluster is marketed in Asia and the Middle East. LIMRA Holdings’ ultimate goal is to be a regional and global conglomerate with its own intellectual properties and patents.

Niroshan Jayasuriya is a Non-Executive Director of LIMRA Holdings and the Executive Director of Finance of Unilever Sri Lanka. The LIMRA Holdings board also comprises Nabhan Akeel, Rizwan Anise and Keerthi Pathiraja.

– Compiled by Avanti Samarasekera

Telephone – 3619899 | Email – hello@limraholdings.com | Website – www.limraholdings.com