Dr. Neil Bogahalande awarded CIPM Lifetime Gold Medal 2019

Dr. Neil Bogahalande receiving the award

CIPM Sri Lanka, the region’s leader in human resource management, has awarded its coveted Lifetime Gold Award 2019 to outstanding ‘Pracademic’ Dr. Neil Terrence Bogahalande, at the recently concluded National HR Conference held at the BMICH in Colombo. 

This CIPM Pinnacle Award is presented to a professional who has contributed to a better understanding of the Human Resources (HR) profession and endeavoured to successfully elevate the status of the profession within and outside the country. 

Dr. Bogahalanda counts over 30 years of experience, working in some of the country’s leading blue-chip companies. He began his professional life as a Trainee Assistant Superintendent in the plantation sector and over the next 25 years, he forayed into different industries including garments, trading, banking and manufacturing. 

He has amply displayed his people management capabilities by heading the HR function in large and complex organisations such as Browns Group Plc, Sampath Bank Plc and Royal Ceramics Lanka Plc. It is important to note that he has always endeavoured to elevate the status of the HR discipline both locally and regionally and has worked tirelessly to secure a seat for HR professionals as a main board director in many organisations. 

He also holds the distinction of being the only person to be appointed as the Chairman of a State-sector plantation while serving on the director board of several private sector plantations. His suitability for the position as Chairman was confirmed by the Committee on High Posts of the Sri Lankan Parliament by two different government regimes, which is a testament to his recognition and prowess in the arena of management. 

Dr. Bogahalanda is also a practicing academic working with a multitude of stakeholders locally and internationally to explore new solutions to different HR and management-related issues in different markets. He is currently working with global corporate giant Hitachi Corporation, Japan on the Happiness Planet Project to explore hidden laws of happiness and business to enhance employee productivity and innovativeness in organisations. 

He also served as an Advisory Council Member of the Human Resources Development Congress in 2006 and won the Pride of HR Profession Award conferred by the World Human Resources Development Congress in 2010. Dr Bogahalanda is the 16th member to be inducted into the CIPM Hall of Fame.