WISTA Sri Lanka marks decade of empowering women

WISTA Sri Lanka Committee with renowned thought leadership keynote speaker Karen Leong 

WISTA Sri Lanka celebrating its 10th anniversary with all past Presidents

President Diruni Chanmugam

Founding President Shehara de Silva

Global Transformation leader Karen Leong

WISTA Sri Lanka celebrated its 10th anniversary with a dynamic keynote discussion on ‘Charting the Course of Success in a Disruptive World’ featuring the renowned global transformation thought leader, Karen Leong at the event held at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo this week. 

Established in 2014, WISTA Sri Lanka was initiated with the goal of providing a crucial platform for women to connect and drive progress, becoming phenomenally instrumental in empowering women within the maritime industry. 

“A decade later, WISTA Sri Lanka stands tall as a vibrant force, creating opportunities and supporting women to excel in this sector,” said WISTA Sri Lanka President Diruni Chanmugam. “As we embark on the next decade, we intend to rededicate ourselves to the mission of WISTA to connect, inspire, and advance women in shipping, trading and related maritime careers. Together we will continue to break through barriers, challenge the status quo, and create a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous future for all.”

While celebrating achievements, Diruni also highlighted the importance in recognising the persistent gender imbalances across industries and the collective responsibility as business leaders to redouble efforts towards empowering women to not only be represented but to assume leadership roles and drive innovation for the future. 

Over the years, WISTA Sri Lanka has made significant strides, shattering glass ceilings creating opportunities for women in the maritime industry. The organisation’s influence has extended beyond the shipping industry, advocating for equality and sustainability. Thus, evident at the event, packed with representative corporate leaders across different sectors gathering for an insightful evening on thought leadership. 

“The shipping industry was predominantly male-dominated, and women’s voices were largely unheard. While we were actively contributing behind the scenes, there was a distinct sense of isolation,” said WISTA Sri Lanka Founding President Shehara de Silva.  “Discovering the global network of WISTA associations, I was inspired by the collective strength of women united by a shared purpose in the maritime industry. And now a decade later, what better way to celebrate than with training and development.”

She also claimed she was fortunate enough to rally together most of the women she knew in the industry, inviting them to join her in establishing WISTA in Sri Lanka, being able to take on this initiative driven by a shared belief in a more inclusive shipping industry and the pivotal role of women in shaping its future.

Thought leadership on transformation

To celebrate WISTA Sri Lanka’s milestone anniversary, the organisation hosted Karen Leong, a renowned thought leader in transformation, recognised as a top 10 influential professional speaker in Singapore. She spoke on the evolving role of leadership, highlighting the enduring need for clarity, change and creativity in today’s dynamic business environment, enlightening on the fact that leadership fundamentals remain constant while the operating environment can shift drastically.

In her keynote, she stressed the importance of clarity to ensure balance, being resilient and using one’s inner resources for navigating change with it often being a catalyst for new opportunities and emphasised on creativity as the ultimate competitive advantage. Karen highlighted the importance for corporate leaders to strategically distribute efforts across current and emerging opportunities and obstacles, while managing administrative tasks efficiently along with a host of other insights providing practical strategies for navigating the complexities of modern leadership.

“I think I have just seen so much resilience and creativity in your country. Therefore, I’m not able to give advice, especially not to you Sri Lanka,” insighted Karen Leong upon inquiring. “And all I can say from a global perspective is that disruptions are going to be constant, and we all know this. Therefore, before we wait for disruption, we should start learning how to disrupt ourselves.”

WISTA Sri Lanka extends its gratitude to Karen Leong for a profound learning experience and to WISTA India President Sanjam Gupta, along with WISTA Sri Lanka’s past Presidents, members, Ambassadors and partners for their invaluable contributions throughout, while appreciating the unwavering support of long-term partner, South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT).