‘Top 50 Professional and Career Women Awards 2020’ to be evaluated by Sri Lanka’s corporate leaders

The eagerly-anticipated 10th edition of the ‘Top 50 Professional and Career Women Awards 2020’ will be evaluated by a panel of eminent judges, many of whom are top achievers in their own right, across diverse sectors. 

The selection of this panel of prominent corporate leaders as judges for the awards reflects the respected credentials of the awards which value women who have succeeded in careers, businesses and everyday life, inspiring others. The awards (nominations for which are open until 15 September on www.womeninmanagementawards.org) are launched by Women in Management (WIM), in collaboration with Women in Work, a partnership between IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Government of Australia.

This year’s panel of judges will face the difficult task of evaluating a strong line-up of applicants from various industries. Nevertheless, the combined professional experience of the judging panel is a testimonial to how well-positioned they are to ensure the judging process is free, fair and truly reflective of the recipient’s achievements. 

The panel will be chaired by Jetwing Travels Chairman and Managing Director Shiromal Cooray, High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka David John Holly, John Keells Group Executive Vice-President Nadija Tambiah, Clootrack Sri Lanka/Maldives and Pakistan CEO Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, IFC Women in Work Program Manager Sarah Twigg, Daily FT Editor Nisthar Cassim, Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd. Managing Director Jayanthi Dharmasena, Marketing Consultant Kumara Samarasinghe, Fontera Brands Lanka Ltd. Regulatory Affairs and Consumer Care Associate Director Corporate Thamari Senanyake, and Shippers Academy Colombo Ltd. CEO Rohan Maskorala.

Commenting on the awards, Shiromal Cooray – Chairperson of the judging panel said: “It is a privilege to be in the panel of judges for the 10th WIM Top 50 Women’s awards. These awards are eagerly awaited as they recognise women from different strata of our society who are involved in various diverse sectors. To become an awardee, she has to not just be involved in a vocation or an enterprise but she must create an impact or be a change agent or an inspiration/role model to other aspiring young women. This will be a major criterion in our selection process. So, we are as excited as those who have applied as we look forward to sharing many award worthy stories, deliberating on them and selecting the worthiest winner.”

“The Top 50 awards for women is a great initiative by WIM and IFC as it acknowledges that women play an important role in our society in diverse areas and recognises them and awards the most outstanding contributors. On behalf of the panel, I would like to wish every applicant the best and may the most deserving win,” she further stated.

The awards, which have expanded globally with presence in Canada and the Maldives, are not only a catalyst for the award winner’s own career or business trajectory, but also encourage many other aspiring women to shatter the glass ceiling, propelling them to reach higher in their chosen field. The awards ceremony will take place in Colombo on 25 November at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.