CA Sri Lanka’s mentoring program to help nurture aspirations of new chartered accountants

To help new members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) reach their full professional potential, 15 distinguished members of the institute came forward to mentor over 75 new chartered accountants by helping them enhance their professional learning in order to help them reach their professional goals.

The mentoring program ‘Nurturing Aspirations’ got underway recently at the institute, and brought together some of the country’s well known corporate leaders, who are also chartered accountants, who will over a period of three months mentor and guide new members, to help them advance in their career. 

CA Sri Lanka President Lasantha Wickremasinghe said that the primary objective of the mentoring program is to impart invaluable knowledge, experience, wisdom and skills to the new members of the institute, so they too will have the necessary aptitude to not only achieve personal and professional success, but will also have the ability to take forward the accounting profession and the institute as well as contribute towards the country’s development.

“Our members are considered our primary stakeholders, and as young members of the institute you are our brand ambassadors, so every effort has been taken from the institute to ensure that our brand ambassadors continue to command the respect that we as chartered accountants have always enjoyed,” he said. 

Wickremasinghe also noted that senior members of the institute too had an important obligation to the younger generation of members by sharing their knowledge to help the newly qualified chartered accountants progress in their career.  

The 15 distinguished members (mentors) of the institute who will be part of the mentoring program are; Ajantha De Vas Gunasekara, Anura Perera, Arjuna Herath, Charindra Suresh Gunaratne, Deva Rodrigo, Indrajith Fernando, MahendraJayasekera, NandikaBuddhipala, Nilanthi Sivapragasam, Prabhu Mathavan, Reyaz Mihular, Samantha Rajapakse, Sujeewa Rajapakse, T.K. Bandaranayake and U.H. Palihakkara. 

During three months of mentoring, the mentors will help young CA members reach their full potential by sharing knowledge and guidance on the core areas important for a chartered accountant, including the importance of adhering to ethics, the importance of teamwork, and the growing importance for chartered accountants to develop their soft skills and leadership skills. During the program, the mentors will also share their experience and insight with the new members on how to handle difficult clients and also difficult situations. 

The program will also cover organisation culture and industry trends, and the need for professionals to continue to keep up with growing changes. The mentors will also guide the new members on how to enhance their personal brand, while also educating them on career guidance and goal setting in ensuring they meet their professional goals.