Sidath Kodikara to lead Institute of Hospitality – Sri Lanka Chapter

Monday, 14 July 2014 01:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

New Executive Council gears to meet demands of a growing Industry The Institute of Hospitality, Sri Lanka Chapter elected Sidath Kodikara as its new Chairman at its recently concluded Annual General Meeting. Sidath was a founder member of the Institute and also served in its very first committee. The new office-bearers for 2014 were also appointed at the AGM held on 20 June 2014 at Ramada Hotel. Accordingly S. Anandaraj is appointed Senior Vice Chairman, Renuka Jayamanne, Vice Chairperson, Sugath Illagakoon, Secretary and Eraj Abeywardana, Treasurer. Harsha Jaysinghe, Keerthi Wickramasinghe, Ramesh Dassanayaka, Asoka Jayawardana, Samantha Gunaratne, Thusitha Samaraweera and Rehan Razeen make up the rest of the Executive Council. The Institute is ‘the’ professional body for individual managers and aspiring managers working and studying in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Speaking at the occasion Sidath noted that the institute is called upon to meet the demands of a fast growing Industry.

FT profile Sidath Kodikara Sidath Kodikara Chief Executive Officer of Cargills Foods Company (CFC), the leading modern retailer in Sri Lanka, started his career in the hospitality industry. Sidath is a Fellow of The Institute of Hospitality of United Kingdom of which he has been a Member since June 1978 and remains an active committee member of the Sri Lankan Chapter. Having gained experience at several catering and quick-service restaurants in the United Kingdom, Sidath ventured into a full-fledged career in the hotel trade starting at Taj Samudra, Colombo. He then went on to serve as Lobby Manager at Lanka Oberoi followed by a very successful nine year stint at Colombo Hilton. During his tenure at Hilton he established the Hilton Lotus Terrace Restaurant now rebranded as ‘Spices’. From Restaurant Manager Sidath moved on to the roles of F&B Analyst, Banquets Manager, Restaurants & Bars Manager and finally serving as the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager of Colombo Hilton. In 1995 Sidath was handpicked by Cargills (Ceylon) PLC to launch the KFC franchise in Sri Lanka and was responsible for the establishment of all related infrastructure, supply chain management and development of the product suite in line with international KFC standards. After opening 14 KFC restaurants in Sri Lanka he was also given the responsibility of managing and expanding the Cargills Food City (CFC) Supermarket chain as General Manager – Retail. At the time of his appointment the CFC chain was 10 outlets strong and today as CEO he leads the operation of 250 supermarket outlets. Sidath was appointed to the Board of Directors of Cargills (Ceylon) PLC in 2002 and continues to hold the position of Executive Director.

“Infrastructure alone is not going to get us to where the Industry wants to be. Industry professionals are required to rise up to the challenge to deliver the service and quality standards that can attract and retain tourists in our market. Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates in South Asia and a well-developed education and vocational training system. The country has a large pool of skilled and semi-skilled workers, highly regarded for their precision, quality and productivity. So the potential of the available human resources is tremendous,” he said. He added that the challenge for the industry is to retainprofessionals within the hospitality industry while attracting those who have left the country to return and support Sri Lanka’s growth story. “Our aim as an organisation is to give professional recognition to our members by continuing professional development and training towards continuously enhancing industry standards,” he said.

Towards this end in the year ahead the Institute aims to work closely with the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association (CHSGA) and Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators (SLITO) to align mutual goals towards the benefit of the industry. The Institute also plans to further enhance its role as the interface between the Industry and professional education to partner both the industry and its human capital in the quest for growth. Under the leadership of its new chairman, the Institute aims to empower all resource personnel in the industry towards professional recognition and accreditation and thereby raise industry standards across regions. Sidath, the Chief Executive Officer of Cargills Foods Company (CFC), the leading modern retailer in Sri Lanka, started his career in the hospitality industry. He is a Fellow of The Institute of Hospitality of United Kingdom of which he is a Member since June 1978. His career in the Hospitality Industry spanned Taj Samudra, Lanka Oberoi and Colombo Hilton.