Ajith Salgado elected as President of CSSL

Monday, 23 December 2013 01:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Annual General Meeting of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) was held last week at the Kingsbury Hotel and the new executive council for the year 2014 was elected. Ajith Salgado was elected as the President unanimously. The CSSL was established in 1976 in Sri Lanka by a group of dedicated professionals for the purpose of promoting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and professionalism among those engaged in this field, and to maintain the highest professional standards among the ICT professionals. CSSL has played this role for over 35 years now and is considered the apex body for ICT professionals in Sri Lanka. It is a not-for-profit body.

The new president Salgado has over 15 years of experience in the ICT industry. He is the Head of IT of Sampath Bank and a member of the board of governors of Arthur C. Clark Centre for Modern Technologies. His academic credentials include BSc Engineering degree in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Moratuwa and Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from the University of Colombo. The other members of the executive council members are Dr. Dayan Rajapakse – Vice President, Yasas V. Abeywickrama – Secretary, Luxman Perera – Treasurer, Dr. Malitha Wijesundara – Asst. Secretary, Prabath S Wickremaratne – Asst. Treasurer, Dr. Ajantha Athukorale – Student Counsellor, Udana Wickremasinghe – Publication Secretary, Mahesh Perera – Council Member, Chrisantha Silva – Council Member, Damith Hettihewa – Council Member and Sapumal Jayatissa – Council Member. Six focus areas Making a speech at the AGM addressing ICT professionals, Salgado said, “The CSSL strategy for 2014 has six focus areas. They are Develop CSSL Brand, Strengthen CSSL Membership, CSSL Media Presence, CSSL Certifications and Accreditations, International Collaboration and Developing the Next Generation,” He elaborated the strategies and their importance. “Developing brand is about further enforcing CSSL as the leading and relevant professional body for all in ICT industry. Increasing the membership will strengthen the society and the members it serves. Involvement in Certification and Accreditations demonstrates the capability of the organisation. ICT is a global industry; therefore the CSSL will play a pivotal role on connecting Sri Lankan ICT industry to the world.” He also explained that the future of any industry is highly dependent upon the quality of the future generations that would join it. “This is true for ICT industry as well. The CSSL will play a national role in enriching school children by increasing their awareness on ICT,” he further added. He also added, “The CSSL strategy for 2014 well aligns with the national ICT objectives set out by His Excellency the President in ‘Mahinda Chinthana’, namely creating a knowledge hub, 75% IT literacy and US 1 billion ICT related export by 2015. We are committed to developing the professionals in this field to achieve those objectives.”