Aban Pestonjee honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at SLID-ACCA National Director Awards

From left: IFC Principal Country Officer Victor Pillai, SLID Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody, Abans Group Chairperson Aban Pestonjee, British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick, SEC Chairman Senior Prof. D.B.P.H. Dissabandara, and ACCA in South Asia Head Nilusha Ranasinghe

Abans Group of Companies Chairperson and Founder Aban Pestonjee was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at the inaugural SLID–ACCA National Corporate Director Awards 2025, hosted by the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), in partnership with ACCA on 28 January at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. 

The event sought to recognise and celebrate outstanding corporate directors who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, and governance excellence, while shaping the future of Sri Lankan business. This initiative also marks a significant milestone in strengthening board professionalism and promoting global best practices in corporate governance. 

With over four decades of experience in the business world, Pestonjee’s vision, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit have been instrumental in driving the growth and success of the Abans Group. An embodiment of the company’s ethos of ‘identifying a need and fulfilling it’, her passion, drive and courage as a South Asian woman in a male-dominated business world have served as an inspiration to subsequent generations of Sri Lankan businesswomen.

Speaking to the World Bank blog “End Poverty in South Asia”, compiled by experts focused on improving lives and bringing opportunities to South Asia, Pestonjee also spoke on the extensive steps she had taken throughout her career that made her deserving of the title “Sri Lanka’s Top Women Entrepreneur”. She said that the winning formula lies in none other than three cornerstone principles that defined her life: Honesty, Hard work and Perseverance.

Among the repertoire of other accolades received by Pestonjee is the Global Strategy Leadership Award presented at the World Strategy Summit; Award of Excellence for Women Achievers for Outstanding Achievements, presented by the SAARC Women’s Association and the Bronze Award, under the large business category at the Women Entrepreneur of the Year awards by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, both in the year 2000; KOTRA Plaque of Appreciation presented in 2005, for forging strategic foreign economic ties between Korea and Sri Lanka; Leading Woman Entrepreneur of the World Award presented by the Princess of Thailand in 2006; Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce at the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Awards as well as the Gold Award in the Extra Large Business Enterprise Category and Sri Lanka’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Derana Sri Lankan of the Year Awards 2017. 

In 2021, she was recognised as one of Sri Lanka’s most admired leaders at the Most Admired Companies Awards, organised by the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Pestonjee has also been interviewed by The Harvard Business School, and the transcript of the interview is held in the school’s Baker Library, available to students for research and case studies.

As the national body dedicated to advancing director professionalism, SLID believes that recognising governance excellence is critical to building resilient institutions, attracting quality investment, and enhancing national credibility. The partnership with ACCA brings global stature to the awards, reinforcing the link between sound governance, financial stewardship, and sustainable value creation.