AIA Sri Lanka celebrates top performers

From left: Best Wealth Planner – Nimal Balawardhana, Best Wealth Planners’ Manager – Vinol Priyasenarath, Best Area Development Manager – Y.G.G.B. Yatigammana and Best Distribution Unit Head – Primrose Samidon

Nelum Pokuna Theatre was the sparkling venue where AIA Sri Lanka celebrated Awards Night 2016 recently. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the four grand awards for achievements in 2015 amidst great fanfare and standing ovations from over 1,200 Wealth Planners who attended the annually held event.  

Nimal Balawardhana attached to Colombo Region 3 was recognised as the Best Wealth Planner while Vinol Priyasenarath from Moratuwa R2 became the Best Wealth Planners’ Manager.  Y.G.G.B. Yatigammana from Mawanella ADO emerged as the Best Area Development Manager for the second consecutive year while Primrose Samidon of Colombo Region 1 was adjudged the Best Distribution Unit Head for the third consecutive year.  

Six Special Awards were presented to the most promising young Wealth Planners whose potential deserved honour and encouragement. Best Upcoming Wealth Planner was Nimal Balawardhana, Colombo Region 3. Best Upcoming Wealth Planners’ Managers – Male and Female – were Nimesh Abeywickrama from Kiribathgoda R1 and P.C. Deshi from Bandaragama ADO. Best Upcoming Distribution Unit Head was Sidesh Jayasekera from Mahiyanganaya City. The award for Best Young Wealth Planner – Male was presented to Wijaya Kumaranasinghe, also from Mahiyanganaya City and the Best Young Wealth Planner – Female was A. Anoja from Trincomalee.  

The Sales Convention was also the apt occasion to celebrate the achievements of Wealth Planners who qualified to participate in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Conference in 2016. This is the world’s highest achievement for a life insurance sales person and AIA Sri Lanka produced the country’s highest number of MDRT members this year. Among them were four who had achieved the highly prestigious ‘Court of the Table’ Status at MDRT. 

One was Ajith Fernando from Colombo Region 1 who is the first Sri Lankan to have received the MDRT Life Membership and the Honour Roll for 15 years of MDRT membership. Other Court of the Table achievers were Nilantha Senarathna Bandara from Kegalle, Nimal Balawardhana from Colombo Region 3 and K.H.H. Wimalasena of Colombo Region 1. AIA Group Chief Executive and President Mark Tucker arrived in the island to celebrate with the MDRT achievers. 

There were 14 AIA Wealth Planners who had fulfilled the criteria to receive the International Quality Award from LIMRA, another prestigious globally recognised accomplishment for life insurance sales professionals.  

Deputy CEO and Chief Agency Officer of the company, Upul Wijesinghe said: “We can proudly state that we undoubtedly have the cream of life insurance sales personnel in the country. This is amply demonstrated by their achievements at MDRT and IQA.”  

AIA Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Shah Rouf said, “I am delighted by the outstanding performance of our sales team that has brought the company considerable prestige with their success in the world arena.”