Ceylinco Life honours 247 trailblazers of 2016

Ceylinco Life’s Best Branch Head (Veteran category) S. Dharshan (left) 

receives his award from University of Sri Jayewardenepura Vice Chancellor Prof. Sampath Amaratunge

The highflyers behind Ceylinco Life’s sector-leading growth in 2016 were recognised with fitting pomp and pageantry when the life insurance leader honoured 247 members of its sales and non-sales teams with performance awards in 20 categories at the company’s annual awards recently.

A total of 395 awards, which included certificates, medals, trophies and air tickets to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Dubai and the UK for the winners and their family members, were presented at this gala event at the BMICH, with which Ceylinco Life celebrated its 13th successive year of market leadership in Sri Lanka.

Staff members, sales consultants, unit heads and branch heads from the Ceylinco Life head office and more than 250 branches in every district of the country were recognised for their contribution to the company’s stellar results last year, with top performers winning multiple awards.

Among those honoured were 44 of members of Ceylinco Life’s sales force who qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) in 2016, two MDRT members among them who achieved Court Of Table status, and 91 sales officers inducted into the company’s own High Flyers’ Club last year.

Speaking at the event, Ceylinco Life Managing Director/CEO R. Renganathan quoted football legend Pelé to emphasise the importance of hard work, perseverance, learning, sacrifice and love for what one is doing, in achieving victory. He also disclosed that the efforts of the company to find a convenient channel for policyholders to pay their premiums had borne fruit in 2016 with Ceylinco Life’s milestone partnership with the Postal Department. More than 4,000 post offices now accept premiums for Ceylinco Life policies, and the channel is emerging as an effective payment option for policyholders, Renganathan said.

In his address, Chief Guest Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura focussed on the need for individuals to understand themselves and their faults and limitations in order to succeed. Individuals that do not know themselves cannot correct their own faults and consequently cannot correct others, he said. Citing examples such as Bridgestone and Honda for companies that had become global giants from humble beginnings, Prof. Amaratunge stressed the importance of seeing opportunities where others do not.

The top award winners at this year’s annual awards of Ceylinco Life were: Best Branch Head (Veteran category) – S. Dharshan of the Colombo North I branch; Best Unit Head – Male (Veteran category) – V.R.U. Rathnayake of Mt. Lavinia IV branch; Best Unit Head – Female (Veteran category) T.C.G. Rajapaksha of the Kurunegala branch; Best Sales Consultant – Male (Veteran category) – A.I.P. Manjula of the Ambalantota II branch and Best Sales Consultant – Female (Veteran category) – N.L. Fernando of the Colombo North II branch.

Ceylinco Life ended 2016 with total income of Rs. 23.4 billion, premium income of Rs. 15 billion, a Life Fund of Rs. 78 billion and an investment portfolio with a value in excess of Rs. 80 billion, making it the market leader in the country’s life insurance industry for the 13th successive year. Independently rated one of Sri Lanka’s most valuable brands, Ceylinco Life operates the largest branch network among local life insurance companies, and has won multiple international and local awards for its commitment to the community and success in brand equity building.