KPMG partners with CSBM for Women’s Entrepreneurship Awards 2019

KPMG Sri Lanka Managing Partner Reyaz Mihular handing over the list of winners to Prof. Ranjith Bandara.jpg 

Seizing opportunities and taking up initiatives with bravery despite the risks with the prime motive of solving a problem, innovating and to make a profit out of the solution ensuring sustainability and continuous improvement is what defines entrepreneurs.

KPMG Sri Lanka Managing Partner Reyaz Mihular delivering his speech at the awards ceremony

Women’s entrepreneurship is the context where such opportunities are taken up by women with many barriers apart from the inherent business risks to create social enterprises that uphold the economy, solve social problems while developing and empowering women to make continuous contributions to the benefit of the wider society.   

The International Conference on Women’s Entrepreneurship organised by the Colombo School of Business & Management (CSBM) partnering with the Women’s International Foundation was held on 3 and 4 December at the Marino Beach Hotel, Colombo. This year’s theme of the conference was “Women’s entrepreneurship in the context of social entrepreneurship where social problems are considered for opportunity creation, barriers discussed to encourage engagement and platforms created for sustainability of the development and empowerment of women.”

KPMG in Sri Lanka partnered with the organisers to take up the assurance of the process of evaluating the Women’s entrepreneurship award winners. As the assurance partner, KPMG in Sri Lanka ensured that an impartial and independent process was applied to select the winners.

The Entrepreneurship awards was graced by Netherlands Ambassador to Sri Lanka Tanja Gonggrijp as the Chief Guest. Colombo School of Business & Management Business School Head Prof. Ranjith Bandara was the chair of the event.

Founder and Chair of Women’s International Foundation and CSBM Marketing Director Seroshi Nandasiri mentioned in her speech highlighting the fact that the prime objective of the conference was to celebrate the achievement of women.  The conference was structured on 3 key areas; Entrepreneurial Opportunity Creation, Breaking Barriers to Encourage Engagement and Sustainability of Initiatives and Development.

KPMG Sri Lanka Managing Partner Reyaz Mihular addressed the audience and highlighted the importance of the event which recognise and empower the emerging talents and also, how KPMG contributed towards the selection process of the award winners. He elaborated on how as an independent provider of professional services, KPMG continues to contribute towards the wellbeing of the community and foster CSR projects, by being the Knowledge or Assurance partner. In selecting the award winners, an independent panel of judges ensured that an impartial evaluation was done according to the criteria. KPMG’s Managing Partner in his closing remarks mentioned, with a tone of encouragement, that “It is not whether you win or lose and taking part is what matters.”

KPMG, apart from being the professional firm that provides audit, advisory and tax services, also engages with local community providing professional advisory services, on a pro bono basis, with an objective of guiding and assisting the emerging entrepreneurs and businesses.