SLIM activities spread beyond Lanka’s shores

Monday, 11 June 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) has broken new ground by initiating educational programs in the Maldives. This is the first time that SLIM is venturing out of Sri Lanka with its total product portfolio.

SLIM recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Focus Education Centre – a leading education provider in the Maldives.

Commenting on this breakthrough, SLIM President Tilan Wijeyesekera said that SLIM lives up to its values of daring to be different and has taken a bold step in going beyond the boundaries of Sri Lanka.

“We have ventured out of the country with our educational products, training programs and consultancies options for the first time by signing an MOU with Focus Education Centre in the Maldives, thus signifying a new era for the institute and the country and has taken its first step towards becoming a regional educational services and marketing expertise provider.”

SLIM Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director Sanath Senanayake said that this initiative brings great honour to the country and would help to earn foreign exchange for the country.

Focus Education Centre Managing Director Ahmed Didi said he was very pleased with the decision by SLIM to join up with Focus Education Centre in promoting marketing education to his countrymen. “It is a very progressive step and will specially help the business community immensely to improve their knowledge on marketing and allied fields,” he said. The signing of the MOU was followed by function with the attendance of key Maldivian Government and private sector officials at a specially organised Information Symposium at the leading business hotel in Maldives, where the SLIM officials including the President of SLIM, CEO and the Education and Training Head made presentations.

SLIM also held several successful meetings with top officials in the Maldives, including the Minister of Environment and Energy Dr. Mariuam Shkeela, Managing Director of HDFC Maldives Dr. Priyanka Baddewithana, Country Manager of HSBC Hemantha Gunathillake, GM at Amana Takaful Hareez Sulaiman and Maldives Qualification Authority Acting Head Mariyam Nooradhean.

SLIM also conducted training programs on social media and digital marketing and customer care excellence for the staff of HDFC, a leading bank in the Maldives.

Meanwhile, negotiations are under way with one of the biggest corporates in the Maldives for a special training program for which over 400 participants will be the beneficiaries.

According to SLIM Secretary Dhanesh R. Jayathilaka, SLIM also hopes to expand the educational program to another country within the next year and gradually making its presence offshore within the next three to four years, thereby creating a potential educational hub in Sri Lanka.