Dialog Axiata affiliates with FCCISL Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2012

The Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of t he Year Award is organised by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL). Being held for the 17th consecutive year, this year’s award is themed ‘It’s time to walk among the stars’, with the view that the prospective and emerging entrepreneurs are worthy enough of standing beside the past Platinum winners of this prestigious award, and now it’s their time to be side by side of these stars in the corporate world.

The national press launch of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award was held at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo in July. Lal Keerthi Gunawardana, the Platinum winner – 2011, Kawan Ratnayaka, Chief Corporate Officer at Dialog Axiata PLC, Shehara de Silva, GM-Marketing and Sales, Janashakthi Insurance PLC, Dayani Fernando, Deputy General Manager, Corporate and Offshore Banking, Bank of Ceylon, Roxanne Abdulali, Project Manager, OXFAM GB, Davide Cairo Lamberti, Project Manager, People Like Us, Anura Siriwardena, Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Commerce, Kumar Mallimaratchi, President, FCCISL, Patrick Amarasinghe, Founder of the Award Programme/Past Director FCCISL, Kosala Wickramanayake, Immediate Past President, FCCISL, Nalin Attygale, CEO, FCCISL, Samantha Kumarasinghe, past Platinum winner were among the press launch speakers and panelists.

This year too Dialog Axiata PLC has come forward to sponsor the award programme, continuing its support extended from 2011. Addressing at the press launch, Chief Corporate Officer, Kawan Ratnayaka stated, “We feel it is our obligation to support FCCISL – Entrepreneur Award as the Chamber acts as the focal point of the business community and the FCCISL really does its job. We still remember how painful to be a small and medium about 16 to 17 years ago. Being large is equally challenging and painful. Ratnayaka appreciated the new segment being introduced this year, Emerging Small Women Entrepreneur in North and East and Differently Abled Entrepreneur. “We are also engaged in such activities and events and we are pleased to see our partners also doing the same. And we assure our assistance towards the event in yearstocome,”hecommented.

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s largest and fastest modernizing mobile telecommunications network associates the Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the Year Awards as the exclusive Platinum partner. It is observed that the organisation holds many corporate values such as dynamic and humancentered leadership, commitment to task and excellence, uncompromising integrity, professionalism and accountability and teamwork which are common qualities of entrepreneurship.

The applications are now open and can be obtained from the FCCISL Secretariat or from Provincial and District Chambers affiliated to the FCCISL. It could be downloaded from www.entrepreneur.fccisl.lk website as well. Interested individuals may contact Waran on 077 10 92 953 or entrepreneur@fccisl.lk for further information.