Q: What is your group’s strategic focus for the 2021/22 financial year?
A: We’re realigning to be resilient, and build a creative and capable workforce. Our goal is to completely transform our business through the pandemic – as we feel the future lies in upscaling – and thereby become more relevant in the next normal.

Managing people and their skills to achieve this objective is our priority. We’re exploring opportunities to reposition our talent by matching skill requirements across sectors and operational functions.

We’re upskilling our teams through training and development with greater emphasis on technology to ensure they have the new skills and competencies required for the ‘new normal’ era. Throughout the pandemic, our Spensonians demonstrated their true grit and team spirit to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Furthermore, we’re pursuing investment possibilities within the development priority sectors of the economy by identifying strategic brownfield expansion opportunities.

The group’s new iconic venture and Sri Lanka’s first waste-to-energy project with an investment of about Rs. 15 billion was launched a few months ago. More recently, we invested in another renewable energy project in hydropower, which clearly shows our strategic intent.

Q: How is your company planning for the medium term – i.e. for financial year 2021/22 – given the new normal era that is now upon us?
A: We’ve been reinventing our businesses, and our priorities are focussed on re-strategising our operations and business models, while strengthening resilience to manage any crisis and emerge stronger. As the crisis continues, we’re constantly learning and evolving together.

Aitken Spence has been at the forefront of managing the environment through our integrated sustainability strategy and we’re well equipped to meet the impact of climate change on business.

Q: In brief, what are the main challenges confronting corporates at this time?
A: The challenge for corporates is how we will grow in the midst of the uncertainty. At Aitken Spence, we’re focussing our efforts on transformation to improve competitiveness and exploit new opportunities.

The tourism industry continues to face tremendous challenges with the current situation unfolding in ways we cannot possibly imagine. However, it is hoped that new and better opportunities will emerge with the implementation of all required health protocols.

Interdependence between the global and local economic environment, and establishing a policy framework to facilitate this is a crying need.

There’s also a need to uplift the livelihoods of people to generate growth in consumer demand.

Implementing strategies to combat the effects of climatic changes on the business environment is another challenge.