Association of Human Resource Professionals to celebrate 25 years of shaping Sri Lanka’s workplaces

• As HR redefines itself, AHRP marks 25 years with a gathering of the profession's past, present and future — graced by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, on 16 July at Cinnamon Life

HR in Sri Lanka is at an inflection point — reshaped by technology, changing workforce expectations and new organisational realities, and being asked to lead rather than simply respond. It is against this backdrop that the Association of Human Resource Professionals (AHRP) will mark its 25th anniversary on 16 July, at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, under the theme "Shaping the Future of Work and Organisations."

The evening is built for the people at the centre of that shift: HR professionals themselves. It brings together the founding pioneers who built the profession, the leaders shaping it today, and the emerging talent who will carry it forward — anchored by a keynote and panel discussion tackling the theme head-on, making this less a retrospective than a working conversation on where HR goes next.

The evening's Chief Guest will be Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who will deliver a special address reflecting on the role of human capital in Sri Lanka's economic and social progress.

Twenty-five years of raising the bar

Since its founding in 2000, AHRP has grown into Sri Lanka's leading body for HR practitioners, built around a simple conviction: that HR could move from the back office to the boardroom. What began as a small community of practitioners has, over 25 years, become the professional home for HR leaders across the country's corporate, public and non-profit sectors.

AHRP's HR Awards, conducted under international guidelines, have long recognised excellence in the field and set the benchmark for the profession in Sri Lanka. Its Human Capital Summits — convened in 2016, well ahead of the wider conversation on future-ready workforces, and again in 2024 in response to a world reshaped by technology and disruption — have placed AHRP at the centre of national thinking on skills, capability and employability, working alongside the National Human Resource Development Council to help shape the country's broader skills agenda.

That thinking has been sharpened through close collaboration with global partners, including the world's largest HR professional body, through joint platforms such as the HR Think Tank, which since 2019 has brought senior HR leaders together to work through the profession's most pressing challenges — from post-pandemic people practices to the realities of the hybrid workforce. AHRP has also built a capability development framework informed by conversations with 25 leading corporate CEOs, and has continued to invest in the next generation through Elevate U and its student and youth leadership programmes, ensuring that as the profession evolves, its pipeline of talent evolves with it.

An evening for all of Sri Lanka's HR community

The anniversary celebration is structured as a journey through AHRP's own history, with a specially produced anniversary film and tributes to the pioneers and past presidents who built the profession — best experienced live, on the evening itself.

The evening's centrepiece will be a keynote address by LinkedIn Director Talent Solutions - South India and Sri Lanka Ankit Khanna  followed by a panel discussion on the theme, "Shaping the Future of Work and Organisations," featuring  AIA Insurance Sri Lanka Director/CEO Chathuri Munaweera, SHRM Senior Advisor and Head - Leadership and HR Transformation Shaakun Khanna,  BCG Managing Director and Partner Anushman Upadhaya and LinkedIn Head of Enterprise Sales - South India, Sri Lanka and Maldives Guna Grace, moderated by Hemas Holdings PLC Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer Ravi Jayasekera. An open Q&A session will follow, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the panel, before the evening closes with dinner — in keeping with AHRP's intent that this remain, above all, an evening for HR professionals themselves.

Looking ahead

At 25, AHRP marks this milestone not with nostalgia, but with intent — reaffirming its commitment to shaping the future of work and organisations in Sri Lanka, and inviting the country's HR community to be part of the journey from 25 years to 50.

AHRP President Thushara Jayawardana said: “At 25, AHRP is looking ahead with clear purpose. HR can no longer react to change. It must lead to it. The future of HR lies in bringing business, technology and people together with courage, conviction and purpose. That is the role AHRP must continue to play for Sri Lanka.”

The Association of Human Resource Professionals (AHRP) is Sri Lanka's leading body for HR practitioners, established in 2000. Over 25 years, AHRP has worked to elevate HR practice, connect Sri Lankan organisations to global standards, and shape national conversations on skills, capability and the future of work.

Event sponsors

Title Sponsor: Linkedin , Diamond Sponsor: i-context Ltd., Gold Sponsor: Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC, Silver Sponsor: Sentiva LLC, Strategic Coaching and Training Partner: Training Consortium  Ltd., Strategic Banking Partner:  Commercial Bank PLC, Strategic Partners: MiHCM, Sysco LABS Sri Lanka, Associate Partners: Oracle, Hayleys PLC, Thyaga and RewardzHub.Al, Colombo Stock Exchange, Supporting Partner: Hayleys Fentons Ltd., John Keells Holdings PLC, MOVA, Print Media Partner: DailyFT and Electronic Media Partner: The Maharaja Media Network.