Colombo School of Business and Management launches 1st executive diploma grooming next generation of

Colombo School of Business and Management (CSBM) is perhaps the only business school in Sri Lanka to be governed by a combined structure of both prominent corporate leaders and senior academic in the country to promote a new leadership culture that builds multiple competencies. 

Veteran Business Leader Dian Gomes serves as the Chairman whereas Prof. Ranjith Bandara provides the leadership for academic and educational programs as the Head of the Business School. The advisory council of CSBM provides the strategic guidance and outlook. Veteran business leaders such as Laugfs Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Connaissance Chairman Chandra Wickramasinghe, Epic Chairman Dr. Nayana Dehigama, Chevron CEO Kishu Gomes, CIC Agri MD Keerthi Kotagama serve in the advisory council. Deshamanya Professor W.D. Lakshman, former vice chancellor of the University of Colombo serves as the chairman of the advisory council.

CSBM is passionate about creating and disseminating new knowledge and thinking in leadership and management and fostering innovative and socially responsible leaders who understand the impact of business on society and create value through business. 

In this context CSBM delivers high quality academic, executive and professional programs with a thorough understanding of the global business environment and sustainable management principles, utilising innovative and appropriate teaching methodologies and technologies with the vision of becoming the premier business school and corporate campus that nurtures global business leaders who create the future. 

Colombo School of Business and Management is a registered certificate awarding body under the tertiary and vocational education commission of Sri Lanka and is also partnered with international brands such as the Philip Kotler Business School and hosts the Philip Kotler Centre in Sri Lanka creating the platform for Kotler Business Programs to be delivered on PEARSON platform. It is also partnered with Asian Institute of Technology (AIT, Bangkok) and KAATSU International University (KIU) to deliver high value academic and training programs both local and regional.

CSBM’s thematic seminar series ‘Evening with a Corporate Leader’ creates a platform for knowledge sharing, discussion and debate on various business related topics and provides space for corporate connectivity and networking to enable social capital and business opportunity creation. Organised free of charge every other Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at its corporate campus premises in Ward Place, Colombo 7. This series invites the prominent corporate leaders of Sri Lanka to share their stories and their knowledge to inspire a generation of corporate leaders and budding entrepreneurs. 

This has grown in popularity among many companies and institutions and been using as a flagship program for networking and knowledge sharing. Corporate leaders such as Chevron CEO Kishu Gomes, George Steuart Chairman Dilith Jayaweera, Commercial Bank CFO Nandika Buddhipala, United Motors Chairman Sunil Wijesinghe and DSI MD Kulathunga Rajapakshe have already been featured in the series. Ashroff Omar from Brandix is also expected to feature in the coming episodes of the series. 

One step further in the development of corporate leadership and management is the first ever leadership and management diploma launched by the CSBM, ‘Executive Diploma in Leadership and Management’. This is a 12-month executive diploma course targeted at the young executives and junior managers of the companies who are identified potential stars capable of driving the future strategy of the organisations. 

This course is structured in a unique way to bring out the best in these budding leaders with 8 thematic modules, a business research module and a comprehensive project report under the supervision of a faculty mentor.  The course is structured on three unique pillars of leading the organisation through influencing others, managing and evaluating organisational functions and processes and analysing the current positions and future strategy. 

The unique feature of the executive diploma is the coaching and mentoring module which gives the budding corporate leaders the ability and opportunity to be coached and mentored by the profound, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs. This will provide the participants a knowledge sharing, experience creating, exposure enhancing once in a life time platform to learn and to advance under the guidance of these proven leaders. They will not only share the good, but will also share what went wrong for them and their life stories to be inspired and encouraged. 

This course will assist the participants the opportunity to unleash the full potential, to groom as a leader, to be part of a greater corporate network and to be coached and mentored by top corporates.  Further the course also leads the participants to a BSc degree in management and business with one of our partner universities where the entry is made to the final year. 

The panel of the course includes dynamic professionals from the corporate sector of Sri Lanka along with the profound corporate leaders contributing as speakers and mentors throughout the course. Each batch is limited to 30 to ensure student-lecturer interaction and to facilitate effective coaching opportunity.

The Executive Diploma in Leadership and Management also comes with a heavy industry endorsement and recommendations. Thus the recognition of the qualification is assured. 

Some of these recommendations and endorsements will include:

“Given the relevance in content and context relative to the operating environment challenges, I’m of the view that this can benefit the young leaders to evolve and transform to be able to deliver superior results through elevated leadership capacity and competence” – award winning CEO Kishu Gomes 

“Leadership is the ability to see different perspectives. You also require guts to stand by your perceptions even when no one else, is in your corner. But, a true leader also has to inspire and motivate, and communicate his vision to his people so that action will follow. A leader changes, a leader revolutionises, a leader creates paths that others would follow. This is what this course is all about” – Hela Clothing Chairman Dian Gomes 

“I recommend this diploma as I am sure it will provide the much needed leadership outlook to the budding corporate leaders” – Laugfs Holdings Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya 

“In a turbulent world, only those who have exceptional leadership qualities could forge ahead. In order to do so, working with people, getting various tasks done as planned and ensuring that vibrant organisations are created and maintained are of paramount importance. This study programme will provide you with the knowledge and skills required as well as mould your mind set to become an energetic leader”  – Former Secretary to President of Sri Lanka Lalith Weeratunga 

The course will commence on Thursday, 8 September and will facilitate a weekend and a weekday option for classes which is delivered at the CSBM corporate campus premises in Ward Place, Colombo 7. Colombo School of Business and Management also offers a generous scholarship scheme for selected individuals from the partner organisations and private applicants to follow this unique course with the aim of promoting corporate leadership and connectedness. Interested applicants can connect with the CSBM for more details about this scholarship scheme and about the course.