ONE OF A KIND

A groundbreaking initiative in a nutshell

The less said about year 2020, the better… right? Well, not quite: not if one were to look beyond the rubble and towards those who blazed a trail in the world of business; and not if we were to focus on the icons of business who have achieved untold success against all odds over the years.

Here in Sri Lanka, people from all walks of life, and numerous professions and vocations, showed their colours last year. LMD’s Sri Lankan Of The Year – The Healthcare Worker – epitomised the bravery and sacrifices that many others in our precious land demonstrated during an unprecedented crisis that few would have imagined facing in their lifetime.

Likewise, in the arena we call business, heroism rose above all else; it inspired many Sri Lankans and motivated scores to join the bandwagon of goodwill – and with it came a ‘new normal’ that centred on collaboration and innovation.

For this inaugural edition – the brainchild of the team at CIMA Sri Lanka – we were invited to compile a 50 strong list in collaboration with CIMA, comprising members who have done the organisation and nation proud in the ‘year of the virus’ and for years before it.

The credentials listed on the pages that follow in this one of a kind feature tell a story of where the accolades lie, in addition to highlighting a number of CIMA members from the younger brigade (with 50 years by and large being the marker) who will surely be among those who are destined to bag many such laurels in the years ahead.

So as we shift gears from the ‘year of the virus’ to the ‘year of the vaccine’ – with renewed hope that business and life in general will shift into overdrive, to get somewhere close to where we were before the pandemic spread its tentacles early last year – it is fitting to pay tribute to 50 members of one of the nation’s foremost professional associations: CIMA.

-LMD