Kelani Cables bags Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award for 2nd consecutive year

Kelani Cables PLC, Sri Lanka’s number one brand in secure electrical and communication cables won the Asia’s Best Employer Brand award for the second consecutive year. The seventh edition of Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award 2016 was held at Pan Pacific hotel in Singapore on 4 August.

The annual award ceremony is hosted by Employer Brands Institute and World HRD Congress with CHRD Asia as a strategic partner. Asia’s Best Employer Brand award is endorsed by the Asian Federation of Business. This award is considered the most recognised one amongst all awards conferred to organisations contributing towards strengthening Asia’s economy. 

An internationally recognised panel of judges constitute of professionals from different parts in Asia scrutinise applicants with strict discipline to select a winner each year.

Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award 2016 being presented to Kelani Cables Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala (right)

The eligibility criteria for the award are twofold. Either an Asian company can apply for the award individually or an independent panel of judges can evaluate a particular company’s credentials to grant the award. 

Similar to the previous year, Kelani Cables was selected as the winner for 2016 award on a recommendation made by the independent panel of judges. They have carried out a nonbiased research on Kelani Cables PLC to select it as the winner for 2016.

The purviews within which a winner is selected are; a company’s culture encouraging innovation, its belief in consistent improvement in HR policy maintaining organisational health and values, being a social employer and a company’s ability to develop future leaders. Research for the award is based on Primary Data on respective companies.

Kelani Cables PLC Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala received the Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award 2016 amidst a gathering of over 300 most senior personnel from over 150 Asian companies. Kelani Cables PLC HR Manager Gihan Vidanagama too participated at the event with his CEO.

Kelani Cables PLC CEO was privileged to talk at the ‘Panel Discussion’ on the topic; ‘What Great Employer Brands Really Do’. He delivered an insightful and a brief speech on the theme; ‘484 employees, 484 hearts and one Beat’ which mainly focused on HR theme of the company.

The Director/CEO told the award has endorsed the best HR policy practices maintained by his company. “Kelani Cables PLC is the first and foremost company in Sri Lanka that had the privilege of winning this prestigious award for two consecutive years. This recognition constitutes to our HR policy and code of conduct. We continue to be the number one brand in secure electrical and communication cables in Sri Lanka. Asia’s Best Employer Brand award 2016 adds immense credibility to our products as well as our HR policy. This sheds light on the determination of our employees to offer superior products to our customers.”

Kelani Cables Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala speaking at the Panel Discussion on ‘What Great Employer Brands Really Do’ (from left): Hong Leong Islamic Bank Berhad Head, Strategic Marketing, Branding, Comm & CSR Sairana Binti Mohd Saad, Kelani Cables Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala and Lanka Market Research Bureau Chief Executive Himalee Madurasinghe

He added, “Kelani Cables PLC also received recognition this year at the National HR Excellence Awards ceremony held in Sri Lanka. This signifies the fact our company has created the best environment for people to work.” 

Kelani Cables PLC is a 100% Sri Lankan company serving the nation for 47 years manufacturing electrical and communication cables. The company achieved ‘Super Brands’ status in the electrical and telecommunication sector in 2008 for professional supremacy it demonstrated in the electrical and communication cables sphere.

In 2012, Kelani Cables PLC clinched the bronze award for the excellent business brand category at the SLIM Brand Excellence. It clinched gold at the SLIM Brand Excellence once again in 2013 for the same category. The company secured gold at the SLITAD People Development – 2013 award ceremony for the contribution it has made towards training and development of the work-force plus up-keeping their welfare.

Kelani Cables PLC is the proud recipient of ISO 9000:2008 certification for quality, ISO 14001:2004 for better environment management, National Standards award and the gold winner of Taiki Akimoto 5S award. 

In 2015 Kelani Cables PLC was conferred with the Asia’s Best Employer Brand award. Kelani Cables was recognised for sustainable development at the National Green Awards in 2015. The company bagged Silver award for best organisational CSR brand under the B2B brand category at the SLIM Brand Excellence awards in 2015.