CIMA Student Development Committee launches L.E.A.P.

The CIMA Student Development Committee of the CIMA Sri Lanka Network Panel recently launched L.E.A.P. (Leadership Engagement for Aspiring Professionals), a unique mentoring program for CIMA students. 

The first of its kind, L.E.A.P.aims to connect exam completes and strategic level students with corporate leaders, industry professionals and successful entrepreneurs with the objective of complementing the students’ technical learning with the practical experience and insights of business leaders. The initiative is part of the CIMA Student Development Committee’s drive towards enhancing student capabilities and ensuring workforce readiness while providing access to professional networking.

The first batch of L.E.A.P. comprises 50 mentees and 14 mentors, who have been grouped and paired based on industry interests, student expectations and mentor profiles. Mentoring sessions will be conducted over a period of three months and will cover topics such as career guidance, personality development, leadership and strategic thinking, ethics and integrity at the work place and stress management among others. The mentors signed up for L.E.A.P. are Dirk Perera, FCMA CGMA – Director/Chief Executive Officer of Union Assurance PLC, Dusty Alahakoon–Managing Director of Heineken Lanka Ltd., JayanthiDharmasena, FCMA, CGMA – Executive Director of Hayleys PLC, JayomiLokuliyana – Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of zMessenger, LakminiWijesundara – Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of BoardPAC and IronOne Technologies, MalingaArsacularatne, FCMA, ACMA – Managing Director (Leisure, Travel and Aviation) of Hemas Holdings PLC, Manjula De Silva, FCMA, CGMA – Chairman of National Insurance Trust Fund, Peter De Almeida– Managing Director and Chief Executive of N-able, RajendraTheagarajah, FCMA, CGMA– Chief Executive Officer of Cargills Bank, Ranil De Saram FCMA, CGMA – Partner (Advisory and Risk Services) of Ernst and Young, Ranil Pathirana FCMA, CGMA – Managing Director of Hirdaramani Group, Ravi Edirisinghe, FCMA, CGMA – Chief Executive Officer of Sunshine Tea Ltd., Richard Ebell, FCMA, CGMA – Non-Executive Director of Softlogic Holdings PLC and Cargills Bank and SupunWeerasinghe, FCMA, CGMA – Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC.