Ramesh Dassanayake, to lead Postgraduate Institute of Management Alumni Association in 2023/2024

Seated from left: Anoj Iroshan (Treasurer - Group Financial Controller – Print Care PLC),  Shiranthi Thewaraperuma (Immediate Past President - Managing Director Ceylon Oxygen PLC), Dr. Samantha Rathnayake (PIM - PIMA Coordinator), Dr. Kelum Gamage (Patron PIMA/Director - PIM), Ramesh Dassanayake (President Chairman/MD Sunway Group of Companies), Shantha Katipearachchi (Vice President – Consultant Sales and Marketing/ Corporate Trainer), Saman Wimaladasa (Secretary - Head of IT – Ferintino Tyre Corporation), Damitha Silva (Communicator - Assistant Vice President – Digital Financial Services - National Development Bank)

Standing from left: Kanchana Boyagoda (Assistant Secretary - Senior Group Manager WNS GLOBAL), Rt. Gen. Duminda Keppetiwalana, Chandika Kumara (Assistant Communicator - Senior Manager Products and Propositions – AIA Insurance), Bhagya Botejue (General Manager – HCL Technologies Ltd), Dimantha Seneviratne (Director/CEO NDB Bank), Dr. Anil Jasingha (Secretary to the Ministry of Environment), Manoj Moses (General Manager Sales – American Premium Water Group of Companies),  Senath Jayathilake (Deputy CEO Union Assurance),  Mahesha Amarasuriya (Director Mastercard Asia Pacific), Achala Chandrasekare (Senior Director of Sri Lanka Customs), and Farzana Khan (Resource Mobilisation Officer UNICEF)

The Postgraduate Institute of Management Alumni Association (PIMA) during its recently held annual general meeting, appointed Ramesh Dassanayake, a highly experienced individual with over 30 years in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries in Sri Lanka, as the new president for the year 2023/2024.

As the Founder and Chairman/Managing Director of Sunway Group of companies, Ramesh has extensive experience and a wealth of knowledge on global best practices in the hospitality industry.

He holds several qualifications, including an MBA from the Post Graduate Institute of Management, a Post Graduate Degree in Planning and Management from the Cyprus Institute of Marketing, and an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from ABE (UK). Ramesh is a fellow member of several professional bodies such as the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) - UK, Institute of Hospitality (IoH) - UK and Association of Business Executives (ABE) - UK and is a professional member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA), and Institute of Management Sri Lanka (IMSL).

Ramesh has also held several positions in various organisations such as the Founder President of ABE (UK) Sri Lanka Branch and Secretary of the National Association for In-coming Tour Operators SLAITO, and presently serves in the Executive Committees of the CMI (UK) and IH (UK) Sri Lanka Chapters.

Ramesh has been an active member of the alumni association, holding various positions such as ExCo member, Assistant Secretary, Secretary, and Vice President. He has led several critical projects, including the creation of the PIMA Portal, which strengthens bonds between members. Ramesh also coordinated and delivered the Husmata Husmak initiative with the 2021 student cohort and recently, spearheaded the launch of the PIMA branded credit card in partnership with NDB bank, providing members with savings and benefits. Members are encouraged to take advantage of this unique offering.

In his address as the newly elected president, Ramesh outlined his strategic objectives for the upcoming year, which encompass several key areas critical to the success of the alumni association. These included prioritising membership relations to ensure open lines of communication with members and addressing their needs effectively. 

Ramesh emphasised the importance of business development and revenue generation to sustain the association’s growth trajectory. He also highlighted the need to maintain financial stability and provide valuable educational opportunities for members. In addition, Ramesh underscored the importance of instituting relevant regulations and guidelines to ensure that the organisation operates with the highest level of integrity. 

“We are confident that this comprehensive approach will enable us to achieve our goals and serve our members to the best of our abilities” he said.

The Executive Committee appointed for the year, comprising of several accomplished professionals from various sectors, included Sales and Marketing and Corporate Trainer Shantha Katipearachchi as Vice President, Ceylon Oxygen PLC Managing Director Shiranthi Thewarapperuma as the Immediate Past President, Ferentino Tyre Corporation Ltd. IT Head Saman Wimaladas as the Secretary, Print Care PLC Group Financial Controller Anoj Iroshan as Treasurer, National Development Bank Digital Financial Services Assistant Vice President Damitha Silva as the Communicator, WNS Global Senior Group Manager Kanchana Boyegoda as Assistant Secretary, Master Card Asia Pacific PLC Director Mahesha Amarasuriya as Assistant Treasurer, AIA Insurance Products and Propositions Senior Manager Chandika Kumara as Assistant Communicator.

Their main theme for this year is “Unleashing the collective potential of PIMA”