Sandra Wanduragala to fly SL flag high at EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia Pacific 2018

Sandra Wanduragala being welcomed to the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia Pacific program by the EY Country Managing Partner, Ruwan Fernando.

Sandra Wanduragala, the well-known founder of Selyn Handlooms, has been selected to represent Sri Lanka in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia Pacific 2018 program. 

The program selects high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale and helps them to do it by connecting them with resources, networks and expertise. This is the second year of participation in the program by Sri Lanka, with Lakmini Wijesundera, the co-founder and CEO of IronOne Technologies and BoardPAC being the first participant in 2017. 

Founded in 1991 by Sandra Wanduragala, Selyn started its work with 15 women in the village of Wanduragala in Kurunegala and now has nearly 1000 members within its organisation. Selyn is Sri Lanka’s only Fair Trade guaranteed company and supplies to Fair Trade and commercial customers all over the world.

The global ‘EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women’ program, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017. It’s an annual, year-long relationship building program designed to help women entrepreneurs like Sandra and Lakmini to think big and grow rapidly. The Asia-Pacific region joined the program in 2015 and at present has ‘Winning Women’ from Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines and Sri Lanka. 18 women from these countries including Sandra and 5 from Japan have joined the program this year. The program is underway in 50 countries and on every continent.

The ‘Winning Women’ are engaged in a wide range of sectors which include aviation, pharmaceuticals, IT, fashion, property, retail, mining, manufacturing, finance, automotive, electronics, agriculture, consulting, services and logistics services. The program builds long-term connections and a community of women entrepreneurs who are actively encouraged to remain engaged beyond their first year, to join activities and events with other global winning women alumnae as long as there is value. The program introduces the women to new ways of managing business growth via a powerful combination of executive education, networking, mentorship and connections. 

Sandra will get an opportunity to join an elite network of top, high growth company leaders who contribute to the ongoing program. The highlight of the program this year is the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia Pacific and Japan conference to be held in Tokyo, Japan on 28 and 29 May where she will have the opportunity to meet and build her global network of entrepreneurial ‘Winning Women’ who can provide invaluable guidance and assistance to her in future.

Following the conference, EY will also host a trade fair for the ‘Winning Women’ to present their businesses in Japan. It will involve them showcasing their service or products and doing presentations. EY will also invite Japanese businesses to attend the trade fair to network with the women and build new business connections.

EY Country Managing Partner, Sri Lanka Ruwan Fernando congratulated Sandra commenting: “EY will always go out of our way to help Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and make available to them global programs like this that will benefit both the individual and Sri Lanka. I am also very pleased that at EY we are able to actively contribute to #PressForProgress by promoting exceptional Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs like Sandra and Lakmini.”