Amana Takaful celebrates Achievers for 2011

Amana Takaful, the flag bearer of the Takaful concept in Sri Lanka that has established a strong market position, recently held its Annual Awards with a burst of colour.

The gala event took place in Colombo and honoured the top performers in Sales and Operations for their exceptional efforts in year 2011 covering the areas of general, life, medical and the overseas operations of the Maldives.

The Annual Awards is one of the highlights of the corporate calendar of Amana Takaful.  In 2011, General Takaful (insurance grew by 42% while Family Takaful (Life insurance) grew by 26%, both twice the growth of the market rate.  The company posted an overall growth of 38.4%.

Speaking at the celebrations, Amana Takaful Director and CEO Ehsan Zaheed stressed the importance people in an organisation, and their collective impact on corporate success. “Organisations are only good as its people. At Amana Takaful we are happy to invest in people and their growth. Today is one of the special moments where we celebrate people and it gives me immense pleasure to be here,” said Zaheed addressing the entire staff present.

“Winners will never quit, quitters will never win,” was the point driven by Sales and Marketing General Manager Adel Hashim to the crowd gathered. He emphasised the immense hidden potential the team possessed and highlighted the role of managers in bringing out the best in people. He appreciated the leadership given by the team managers and highlighted the fact that the team was able to double its growth in the first quarter 2012 compared to last year.

The most coveted award of the day was for the Best Sales Person of the Year aptly named ‘Champion of Champions Award’ was won by W.G.M. Prasanna from a Corporate Sales Team in Colombo for his outstanding work in General Takaful Business performance. Speaking on the occasion Prasanna said that he joined Amana Takaful in the lower ranks eight years ago and the company had afforded the opportunity for him to grow up to the level of an Assistant Manager. He attributed his success to the excellent support received by his friend and colleagues and to his ‘never-give-up’ attitude.

The Takaful industry world over has grown phenomenally over the years and the pace has not weaned albeit global financial challenges. Even in Sri Lanka the concept is gaining wider acceptance although relatively new with 13 years in the run. According to a report filed by Ernst & Young this year, the worldwide Takaful industry continued to show double digit growth in 2011 although at a relatively slower rate of 19% as compared to previous years. The Report also noted that the Takaful industry has now obtained significant market share versus conventional insurance in most GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries as well as South East Asian markets.

Amana Takaful is the flag bearer of the Takaful way of insurance in Sri Lanka and has carved a strong market position in a relatively short period. The company provides both General and Life insurance solutions to companies and individuals alike. Amana Takaful also has an overseas operation in the Maldives which is registered and listed in the Maldives Stock Exchange. Amana Takaful has a wide branch network covering the Western, Southern, North Western, North Eastern, Eastern and Central hills.