Imperial Institute of Leadership and Strategy to shape Sri Lanka’s future-ready leaders

IILS Co-founders (from left): Seroshi Nandasiri, Sivabaskaran Shanmugam, Pravinth Rajaratnam and Nalin Weerakoon

Marking a bold new chapter in Sri Lanka’s educational and leadership landscape, the Imperial Group officially launched the Imperial Institute of Leadership and Strategy (IILS), a pioneering institution dedicated to advancing leadership excellence, strategic capability, and transformational impact in Sri Lanka.

Delivering the inaugural address, IILS Co-Founder and Director Seroshi Nandasiri described the launch as both “a national responsibility and a call to action.” 

“Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture. Much of our talent has migrated, and those who remain are under immense pressure to deliver on time, to quality, and at competitive cost, while adapting to rapid technological change and navigating geopolitical uncertainty. In this environment, resilience in leadership is not optional; it is essential. Just growth will not work anymore, we need exponential growth, and that begins with leadership,” she added.

With a legacy of over 40 years in professional education, the Imperial Group, recognised as the nation’s leading provider of CIMA, higher education and business education, has empowered over 75,000 professionals. Building on this foundation, IILS has been established as the Group’s executive education and strategic consulting arm, filling a long-standing national gap by becoming Sri Lanka’s only dedicated institute for leadership and strategy development.

IILS brings to Sri Lanka Ivy League-level knowledge, benchmarked with global leadership research, and delivers it locally, through local talent, blending world-class insight with Sri Lankan context. The institute focuses purely on transformation and exponential growth, for individuals, corporates, and the nation.

To achieve this, IILS has summoned the best minds from academia, industry, and global practice, combining the expertise of Sri Lankan university scholars, corporate leaders, and world-class trainers, coaches, and transformational facilitators. This diverse collective ensures that every program is created by experts and delivered by professionals.

“At IILS, we believe in collaboration,” Seroshi added. “We’ve created a space for Sri Lankans; academics, professionals, and institutions to come together, co-create, and generate new, innovative knowledge that will help our nation advance. Our mission is clear, to build leaders who can transform challenges into opportunities and drive Sri Lanka forward.”

With a comprehensive portfolio spanning Corporate Leadership Development, Youth Leadership, Women in Leadership, Public Sector Leadership, and Entrepreneurship Tracks, IILS delivers executive education programs benchmarked with global best practices and tailored to Sri Lanka’s evolving business and social landscape.

Beyond education, IILS functions as a Leadership and Strategy Think Tank, offering research, advisory, and consultancy services designed to help organisations sustain performance under pressure and lead transformation in complex environments.

“We strive to be Sri Lanka’s Leadership Centre of Excellence, driving national progress while expanding regionally and globally to share and spread the knowledge created here,” said Seroshi in conclusion.

Located at No. 20, 1/1, Shurabery Gardens, Colombo 4, IILS represents not just a new institute, but a national movement to build resilient, visionary, and value-driven leadership for Sri Lanka and beyond.