Military to Corporate Conversion Model Batch 2 graduates take the salute

Seated from left (front row): IIHRM Lead Consultant Dr. Marlon Ferreira, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (M2C Placement Partner) Vice Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa, Access Engineering (Resource Partner M2C) Chairman Sumal Perera, IIHRM Chief Consultant Ranjeewa Kulatunga (Co-Author of M2C Framework and Facilitation Partner of M2C), M2C in Sri Lanka) Initiator and Patron Gen. (Retd.) Daya Ratnayake, Chief Guest Defence Secretary Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, Guest of Honour Sri Lanka Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Chief of Staff Sri Lanka Army Maj. Gen. W.L.P.W. Perera, Deputy Chief of Staff Sri Lanka Navy Rear Admiral Y.N. Jayarathna, Dir. Admin Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila, Military Secretary Brig. General Ajith Kolambathanri, and Naval Secretary Commadore Vijitha Marapana

• Sri Lanka M2C holds its second graduation with Secretary of Defence as its Chief Guest

Military to Corporate Entrepreneurship Capsule – the second batch of 24 serving officers comprising 12 Maj. Generals, three Brigadiers, four Rear Admirals and five Commodores/Air Commodores took the salute recently in a fitting finale before sunset at the Water’s Edge, with Defence Secretary Gen. Kamal Gunaratne as Chief Guest. 

The initiative which is sponsored by Access Engineering PLC Group Chairman Sumal Perera was initially launched in March 2021, for retired officers. This is the first time that the initiative was open for the serving officers of the tri-forces and it was a tremendous success, said Gen. (Retd.) Daya Ratnayake the Patron and initiator of M2C in Sri Lanka.  

The conversion kit that will help transform military veterans into corporate trailblazers ready to lead private or State-run organisations will encompass adoption of corporate work ethic and strategic thinking, people management and work agendas driven by wealth creation on the cutting-edge of technology and knowledge transfer, says Ranjeewa Kulatunga, Patron for the Alumni of IPMA-HR USA in Sri Lanka and Managing Director of Intercontinental Institute of Human Resource Management (IIHRM) which leads the ground-breaking program.

The nominations are managed by the M2C Operational Directorate headed by Major General K.T.A.D.S. Kolambathantri RWP RSP USP psc IG, Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila – Director Admin SLAF, Commodore – Vijitha Marapana and Col. Sujeewa Rathnayake – M2C Military Coordinating officer under the direction of the Tri-Force Commanders in collaboration with OCDS. 

The carefully picked IIHRM team of corporate consultants who facilitated the sessions – led by IIHRM Chief Consultant Ranjeewa Kulatunga, World Speaker and Sensei International Founder Omar Khan, Dr. Marlon Ferreira, Brandix Group GM Talent Development Kumara Galhenage, IIHRM Lead Consultant Faraz Farook, IIHRM Chief Consultant and Sensei Asia Head Ranjan de Silva and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, and IIHRM Chief Consultant and IIHE MD Bradley Emerson received appreciation awards from Gen. Kamal Gunaratne and the Pre-Course Assessment was facilitated by Rukmani Manohar.

As these professionals leave a distinguished military career, corporate Sri Lanka and State-run institutions have an invaluable opportunity to harness their superior skills and discipline. Trained to be officers and gentlemen, battle-hardened toughness is all but one part of their multi-faceted character and skill sets. 

Retiring officers must remain an invaluable asset to the country, we are indeed glad to be part of this laudable initiative working together alongside IIHRM and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce says Sumal Perera, Chairman of Access Engineering PLC, the resource partner for the ‘M2C Military to Corporate Entrepreneurship Certification’ Capsule series.

Sri Lanka’s adoption to the universally-recognised concept of M2C or military to corporate transfer was first proposed in a new strategic transformational framework for Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force with IIHRM’s Ranjeewa Kulatunga and Dr. Dinesh Watawana, among its authors during Gen. Daya Ratnayake’s stewardship as the Commander of the SLA.

The specially designed immersion workshops give senior military officials a simulated experience in understanding how things click outside the military, the general business behaviour and just how to embrace the change while pointing them towards modern skill-sets they must acquire on the cutting-edge – especially with the introduction of a pre module assessment centre to determine the competency gaps of the participating officers makes the initiative valid, reliable and relevant to each individual said Prof. Gunapala Nanayakkara the iconic educationist who is the head of the IIHRM Global Advisory Council.

The initiative was flagged under the auspices of Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunarathe, with the Commander of the Sri Lanka Airforce Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana WWV and Bar, RWP and Bar, RSP and three Bars, VSV, USP, MSc (MOA) USA, MSc (Def Stu) in Mgt, M Phil (Ind), MIM (SL), ndc (Ind), psc, qfi and Maj Gen. W.L.P.W. Perera RWP RSP ndu, Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army along with Rear Admiral Y.N. Jayarathna RWP and Bar RSP USP ndu psc Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was represented by Vice Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa.    

The official M2C website www.m2csrilankacenter.com that was created by the web sponsor Allion Technologies will showcase the CVs of the officers giving the corporates free access to engage with them directly – besides this, the graduate placement partner the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will use this website to drive the placement drive.