Upul Nawaratne Bandara wins coveted marketing award

Upul Nawaratne Bandara, hailed as a rising star among leading Sri Lankan marketers, was conferred top honours at the glitzy South Asian Partnership Summit and Business Awards 2016 hosted by the World HRD Congress. The awards endorsed by Asian Confederation of Businesses and CMO Council picked eight winners from the region in the category of branding and marketing. Upul won the Award for Excellence in Branding and Marketing in South Asia. 

Upul, a game-changer with proven acumen as a professional marketer is currently General Manager – Group Marketing and overseas world renowned household brands in the automotive industry. Earlier, he was Head of Marketing for Dialog Axiata PLC. 

AMW was also recognised as Sri Lanka’s Best Employer Brand at the Sri Lanka’s Best 50 Employer Brands at the same ceremony, turning it into a double celebration for Upul and his organisation.

A multi-disciplinary marketing veteran, Upul counts pivotal roles in the banking industry where he was Head of Deposits and Secured Lending/Wealth Management at Standard Chartered Bank before taking over as Senior Manager Marketing at Sampath Bank. 

Upul holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from PIM – University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing and is a Chartered Marketer of CIM – UK. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Financial Administration from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and is a Certified Management Accountant from CMA Australia. His professional qualifications include an Executive Diploma in Business Administration (EDBA) from the University of Colombo.

At the dynamic AMW, he is responsible for changing the marketing dynamics of the Group and adapting multinational marketing practices focusing more on the AMW’s overall brand equity while infusing fresh impetus to sub brands which are household names in the industry. “I belong to a marketing fraternity seeking to raise the game in Sri Lanka through creativity on the cutting-edge and fearless adaptation of marketing innovation. I feel deeply honoured that my personal efforts as a marketer have been recognised at a global stage. The recognition for AMW turned it into a double joy,” he quipped.

Sri Lanka’s Best Employer Brand Awards and the awards for branding and marketing recognise outstanding performance among organisations and their key performers. The gala event was held recently at Water’s Edge officiated by Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga.