IPM’s Chris Obeyesekere wins APFHRM HR Professional of the Year 2015 Award

Chris Obeyesekere addressing the media and well wishers at the airport upon his return to Sri Lanka after receiving the coveted Asia Pacific HR Professional of the Year 2015 Award

IPM Sri Lanka, a leader in human resource management, announced that its Past President, Fellow and Council Member, Chris Obeyesekere, has been awarded the very first Asia Pacific HR Professional of the Year Award 2015 by the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management (APFHRM) recently. 

This prestigious award was presented to Obeyesekere at APFHRM’s Regional Conference, held on 3 and 4 November in Singapore after a series of competitive evaluations by an eminent three-judge panel. The award has been introduced to recognise outstanding contributions of HR professionals in their home country as well as in the Asia Pacific region and signifies the extent and high esteem that the winner and his work receive in the local community as well as in the region.

“It was a very competitive selection. The judges were very impressed that Chris went out of his way to help and uplift the HR community. Furthermore, Chris’s unfailingly cheerful, upbeat personality and also being the highest achiever even when the others struggled with seemingly insurmountable issues were key factors in winning the award. I am proud that Chris is a member of the Asia Pacific Region,” said APFHRM President Md. Musharrof Hossain. 

He added that Chris will be APFHRM’s official candidate to the World Federation of People Management Association’s (WFPMA) prestigious Georges Petitpas Award, which is a worldwide professional HR recognition and excellence award. 

“We extend our warm wishes and heartfelt congratulations to our colleague, past president and council member – Chris Obeyesekere – for having this prestigious APFHRM HR Professional of the Year Award 2015 bestowed upon him. Chris has brought honor not only for himself as a highly acclaimed HR professional but also to Sri Lanka as well as IPM,” said IPM Sri Lanka President Rohitha Amarapala. 

“Chris has been a driving force in all of our activities at IPM Sri Lanka. He has an enormous amount of energy, enthusiasm and a keen strategic vision which has helped to position him to be conferred with this outstanding regional award and recognition,” he added.

A member of IPM Sri Lanka since 1983, Obeyesekere was its President for a four-year period from July 1997 to July 2001. During his stewardship, he was responsible for changing the entire outlook and perception of IPM to a respected professional body for HR practitioners and academia. 

In fact, the present headquarters of IPM’s HR House at a prestigious location in Polhengoda, Colombo 5 was his brainchild and came after 40 years of existence, thereby enhancing IPM’s image and standing as a respected professional body. 

Obeyesekere was responsible for raising funds for the construction of this seven-storey iconic building which includes state-of-the art facilities such as an auditorium, library and lecture halls. 

In recognition of his immense contribution to IPM Sri Lanka and the HR community, Obeyesekere was honoured with the Lifetime Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Human Resource Management by IPM Sri Lanka in collaboration with Suntel in 2003. 

Having served on the Business School Committee for over a decade, he was able to add value to matters relating to the Business School curricula, structuring of courses and lecturing. Obeyesekere is a highly qualified HR professional and a Diplomat in Human Resource Management with HRM Certificates from Pittsburg University USA, Ashridge School of Management UK, Frank field University School of Management UK, Asian Institute of Management-Philippines, and CIPD UK and was Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Management and Administration at Hatton National Bank Plc, Sri Lanka where he was responsible for driving and rolling out the HR vision, pay principles, etc.  He currently serves in a very senior role at Lanka Bell Ltd.

IPM Sri Lanka keeps pace with the new trends and concepts in HR by engaging continuously with the business community to share experiences, thoughts and insights in order to enrich and enhance the HR profession. 

It actively encourages and promotes members’ participation at international conferences and fora to provide exposure; build networks and conduct research into areas of interest to the HR profession in Sri Lanka. 

IPM was founded in 1959 and was subsequently incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1976.   IPM is affiliated to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Human Resources Management and also to the World Federation of People Management Association. 

IPM, being a professional institute, is also a constituent member of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) Sri Lanka. Currently, IPM comprises over 900 professional members who serve in both public and private organisations.