CIMA Corporate Partners 2011 launched

By Cheranka Mendis

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Sri Lanka Division yesterday launched its fourth CIMA Corporate Partners at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel with 21 corporates as its partners for the year.

The partners for the year were all what are known as ‘top shelf companies’ with remarkable financial performances and global achievements.

The partners were Aitken Spence PLC, Associated Motorways (Pvt) Ltd., Cargills (Ceylon) PLC, Chemical Industries (Colombo) PLC, Citizen Development Business Finance Ltd., Coats Thread, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Dialog Axiata PLC, Finlays Colombo PLC, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Hatton National Bank, Hayleys PLC, John Keells Holdings PLC, Lankem Ceylon PLC, MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd., Sampath Bank PLC, Singer (Sri Lanka) Limited, Sri Lanka Telecom PLC, Standard Chartered Bank, Union Assurance PLC and Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.

The flagship programme, the first in the CIMA calendar, has been designed to establish affinities with leading corporate organisations in the country so that both parties could mutually benefit from the high brand recognition and compatible professionalism in values.

Sri Lanka, which is focusing on progress and development, would benefit well from the qualifications the professionals receive by engaging in CIMA studies.

As Executive Director of CIMA Markets Andrew Harding said, the number of Sri Lankans signing up for the CIMA Programme has significantly increased in 2010.

“Sri Lanka is now emerging from a difficult period and establishing itself as a leader among the world’s developing nations. The young and talented workforce of the country is proving to be a major national asset as global business search for talent. CIMA’s contribution to this endeavour is getting greater by the year,” Harding stated.

Regional Director for South Asia and Middle East present at the event quoting Bill Gates stated that “the change that came upon the world in the last 10 years was greater than the change that happened in the past 100 years”.

He stated that in the age analysis of Sri Lanka, it was expected that within the next 10 years, 3.2 million people will be at the age of 55 – the age of retirement. However, an equal number of people will be at the age of employment then.

“As corporate leaders it is our duty to increase the capabilities of the new generation by tenfold to ensure sustainability and efficiency. The programme is one that would help put this into action. It would shape the skills of the next generation,” he asserted.

Pic by Upul Abayasekara