SL corporates must have more women directors in its boards – Sara Twigg
Sri Lanka corporate must have more women directors in their boards, said Program Manager Women in Work Sri Lanka International Finance Corporation Sara Twigg at the Women in Management Sri Lanka launched Second Edition of the Women Top 50 Calendar for the year 2023 featuring 12 women Icons at the Galadari Hotel yesterday.
She said that they conducted a survey among Sri Lanka’s 30 top listed entities and found that all top management companies which have more female board members have had better profits. “This is because women also have high management skills and corporates must look at including more women in the decision making process,” she said.
She also said that in Sri Lanka over 35% of the SME enterprises are owned by women. “In addition women also have a huge say in some of the other family SME businesses.
“This makes women participation/influence in Sri Lankan SME businesses to over 51%,’’ Twigg said.
She also said that the figures in Sri Lanka are also similar to most of the other Asian countries.
WIM Founder and Chairperson Dr. Sulochana Segera speaking to the media said, “Today there are many awards recognizing women yet the topics we discussed from past to date have not changed. It is more a competition to feature or recognize women than to make her story to inspire women, corporates, businesses, and society.”
“WIM has always been creative and brought new thinking to empower and inspire women. The Women Top 50 Calendar is another program of WIM to inspire and motivate the world. The objective of this is to motivate and inspire Sri Lankans who has lost their path of success and also corporates and society to see and understand that women leadership and contribution matters to the country economy and there are women who has done in the past and still doing their best in leading businesses, careers, professions and entrepreneurships.”
This year we have featured women from driver backgrounds like business, entrepreneurship, corporate boards, state sector, banking, Insurance, corporate careers, legal and etc., which include January – Gillian Edwards, Independent Non-Executive Director, Commercial Credit and Finance PLC , February – Devika Ellepola, Head of Passenger Sales, Emirates Airline in Sri Lanka, March – Prof. Dr. Thushari Koralage, Principal/Managing Director, Asian Grammar School (Colombo/Matara), April – Julian Devika Anthony (LLB.), Barrister & Solicitor, President, WIM Canada Chapter, May – Nilushi Kumaradas, Head of Procurement, Coca Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd, June – Nirosha Jagodaarachchi, Chief Executive Officer, British Cosmetics (Pvt) Ltd, July – Dawn Austin, Managing Director, NIDRO Supply (Pvt) Ltd, August – Shehara de Silva, Non Exec Director, Keells Food Plc, September – Shashi Kandambi Jassim, Professional Banker, October – Keasila Jayawardana, Chairperson, National Savings Bank Plc, November – WIM Sri Lanka Team, Waruni Algama, Vijitha Samarakkodige, Summaiya Macan Markar, Dr. Himalee De Silva, Niroshini Rathnasinghe, Fazeela Dharmarathne and Dr. Nadini Wickarmasinghe, December- Manindri Dias Bandaranayake, Group Chief Brand Marketing Officer, Janashakthi Group.