CIPM Sri Lanka confers Charter status to Member category

CIPM President Dhammika Fernando presenting the memento to Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva

CIPM Sri Lanka, the Nation’s leader in human resource management, conferred the Charter Member Status to its “Member” level category, and elevated them to “Chartered Member” category at a ceremony held on Friday 24 May at the CIPM Head Office Auditorium of “HR House” in Colombo 5. A large gathering, including CIPM Sri Lanka President Dhammika Fernando, Past Presidents, honorary members and the CIPM Council were present, along with Chief Guest Sri Lanka Army Chief of Staff Major General Shavendra Silva. CIPM Sri Lanka made it an opportunity to felicitate Major General Shavendra Silva, an Associate Member of CIPM Sri Lanka and a past student, and presented him with a memento to appreciate his services to the Nation and for reaching the pinnacle of his career. The event was organised by the Standing Committee for Member Services & Events of CIPM Sri Lanka, led by Chairman Jayantha Abeyratne. 

“CIPM Sri Lanka has achieved many feats this year, and key amongst them is the awarding of the Charter Status, which has far-reaching implications for our membership, business school, students and the HR fraternity as a whole. The CIPM Governing Council has approved the 3-year strategic plan which is now being implemented in order to give effect to structural changes to make CIPM a more member centric professional body, upgrading of the Business School to be the benchmark of all professional institutes in Sri Lanka and the region, and to develop the HR knowledgebase by encouraging more HRM based research,” said CIPM Sri Lanka President Dhammika Fernando.

“We take this opportunity to honor and recognise one of our Associate Members and past students – Major General Shavendra Silva, who has shown remarkable talent by putting in to practice the key principles of people management in order to successfully carry out the humanitarian operations in the northern front. We are equally proud of him for being elevated to the position of Chief of Defense Staff of the Sri Lanka Army which is indeed a recognition that he deserves,” he added.

Thanking the CIPM Council for inviting him and recognising him, Major General Shavendra Silva said that he was able to acquire new knowledge and skills by being associated with CIPM. 

“It is essential that people continuously explore and enhance their knowledge on a daily basis, and execute what you have learnt in your respective working environments in order to develop your organisations, yourselves and this great Nation of ours,” he added.

The ceremony was followed by a networking session which gave the participants an opportunity to exchange ideas and renew relationships. 

CIPM was founded in 1959 and was subsequently incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1976. CIPM is affiliated to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Human Resource Management and to the World Federation of People Management Associations. CIPM, being a professional institute is also a constituent member of the Organisation of Professional Associations [OPA] Sri Lanka. Currently, CIPM comprises of over 1200 Professional Members who serve in both public and private organisations. It was elevated to Chartered Status by the Parliament of Sri Lanka on the 28th of September 2018 by amending the original act of establishment.