CMI Corporate Quiz Challenge 2019 kicks off

Overall winner – Dialog Axiata PLC 

By Divya Thotawatte

Bringing together nearly 40 corporates in Sri Lanka, Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Quiz Challenge 2019 was held on 23 October at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, in an effort to enhance professional standards of local managers.

The CMI Quiz Challenge 2019 was organised for the fourth consecutive time, in a bid to create greater networking amongst the management community of the country and also to elevate CMI Sri Lanka as the most recognised and respected professional body in the island. This year’s quiz challenge was held with an atmosphere of great excitement, while stimulating the participating corporate teams with thought-provoking questions under seven categories. The partakers were able to take the quiz under categories including Banking, Finance and Insurance, Telecom and IT, Manufacturing, Apparel and Textile, FMCG and Retail, Food and Beverage, and the Special category. 

CMI Quiz Committee Head Rohitha Amarapala said that through the event, corporate sector managers were encouraged to update their knowledge and competence levels to improve their efficiency. He said that the quiz was one initiative that contributes to CMI Sri Lanka’s vision of creating ‘better led and better managed organisations.’

Nearly 40 teams, each consisting of five members from organisations in the public and private sectors participated in the quiz. The event was set up to be a live table quiz and electronic devices were used for answering the multiple choice questions. The quiz was structured on management and leadership, business management, corporate governance, general knowledge, current affairs and sports.

Dialog Axiata PLC won the quiz challenge and was presented with a cash award of Rs. 100,000, while DFCC being the runners up received a cash price of Rs. 60,000. McLarens Holdings Ltd. was placed third and won a cash prize of Rs. 40,000. The winners and runners up of the eight sectors will also win trophies, medals and certificates. 

The quiz challenge was organised by CMI Sri Lanka in partnership with Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG). CMI President Murali Prakash said, “The quiz is done with well-known partners to ensure quality, fair governance and transparency. When we do such public programs, it’s essential that we maintain impartiality and a strict code of conduct to maintain the highest standards of integrity. The Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon have come in as Event Knowledge Partners. They bring in quality and content to the program.” 

Founded in 1947 as the British Institute of Management, the Chartered Management Institute was renamed upon being awarded the Royal Charter in 2002. One of eight countries in the world to have their own branches of CMI, the Sri Lanka branch was inaugurated in 1996 and within a span of over two decades has planned and executed various strategic initiatives with the objective of developing the professionalism of managers in Sri Lanka.

Pix by Shehan Gunasekara