CMA Sri Lanka passed finalists complete workshop series on Speechcraft

The Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka, under the astute leadership of Professor Lakshman R Watawala, successfully completed the workshop series on Speechcraft, honing the skills of communication and leadership.

The vision of Prof. Watawala to equip management accountants with the skill of presentation, communication, articulation, and negotiation, with the intention of preparing professionals with accounting qualifications to be capable of becoming the CEO as business leaders, transforming the role of an accountant to a professional leader of any corporate entity.

Pursuing the mission to equip accountants with communication, presentation, and leadership skills, CMA Sri Lanka has made it compulsory for all passed finalists, management accountants, and students to follow the 10-week Speechcraft program to be eligible for membership at CMA Sri Lanka. The program was subsidised by CMA Sri Lanka for the benefit of students, and to enable students to fit in to the commercial world by implementing international educational standards boards’ requirements of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global body for the accounting profession. The presence of the IFAC President at the CMA Global Management Accounting Conference and CMA Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards 2018, as keynote speaker, provides recognition of CMA by the global accounting body.

The seventh batch of Speechcrafters established a 100% record of graduation with no drop-outs, and the final awards ceremony meeting was conducted on Saturday 28 July in a solemn but elegant manner, with the participants displaying an amazing transformation, delivering speeches on crucial subjects of social, economic, and life-changing topics.

CMA Sri Lanka Toastmasters Club provided the facilitator resources, with the expertise of communication skill development excellence and the attributes of leadership skills honed by Course Director Dian Abeywardene.  CMA Sri Lanka CEO Kanishka Jayasinghe, representing Prof. Lakshman R Watawala, commended the participants on the amazing performance. CMA Sri Lanka President Toastmaster Anil Indika, thanked Prof. Lakshman R Watawala, for his visionary mission of providing accountants the skill of communication and leadership, testifying the fact that the Speechcraft program has helped instil confidence and an overall leadership capability in accountants, providing the skills to climb the corporate ladder and rise to the post of CEO.

CMA Sri Lanka Consultant and Council member Kosala Dissanayake, CMA Directors, Members and facilitators of CMA Sri Lanka Toastmasters Club, together with the keynote speakers of the Speech Craft program participated. Kosala Dissanayake, Kanishka Jayasinghe and CMA Toastmasters Charter President Chandana Samaraweera presented the certificates to all Speechcrafters, with Anil Indika in attendance, and with the Awards Ceremony conducted by Course Director Dian Abeyewardene. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by a participant, expressing profound thanks to Prof. Lakshman R Watawala for making the Speechcraft program compulsory, as they now realise the enormous benefit of being able to overcome the fear of speaking in public, and thus progress in climbing the corporate ladder. The final Awards Ceremony meeting was followed by fellowship and lunch, provided by the administration support team led by Shanthi Maheswaran of CMA Sri Lanka. 

Members and students who wish to obtain more details on the next program, scheduled to begin in August 2018, please contact Shanthi Maheswaran on 071 4705536 or email to: [email protected]