Big draw of expertise, insight at ‘Forum on Five Hubs’ on 25 February

Thursday, 20 February 2014 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A large base of public and private sector experts coming together for the first time to share key insights into the country’s five hubs strategy will be a key draw at the full-day forum on 25 February organised by the Daily FT in partnership with the Colombo University MBA Alumni Association.

Over 20 experts drawn from the five hubs – maritime, aviation, commercial + tourism, knowledge and energy – will highlight key opportunities as well as challenges during the full-day session at the Colombo Hilton. The ceremonial opening will be at 8:30 a.m. with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest and the Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal as the keynote speaker. Additionally, the World Bank Group’s Lead Private Sector Development Specialist of the Competitive Industries Practice based in Singapore P. Tewari will share Singapore’s experience and lessons on hub strategy as a guest speaker. Soon after the ceremonial opening, sessions proper on the five hubs will kick off with each hub being allocated an hour each, inclusive of an interactive panel discussion. The event is titled ‘Five Hubs: Fiction or Reality’. This groundbreaking initiative is being strategically supported by John Keells Holdings, Standard Chartered Bank and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority as well as SriLankan Airlines. For the convenience of participants, the registration for the full-day forum has been divided into half-day session and full-day forum depending on the areas of interest. The half-day session fee is Rs. 5,000 and full-day forum registration is Rs. 9,000. The main presenter of the maritime session is SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama and the panellists include Navy Commander Admiral Jayantha Colombage, Expolanka Holdings Plc Group Managing Director Hanif Yusuf, CINEC President and Managing Director Capt. Ajith Peiris, Shippers’ Academy Colombo CEO Rohan Masakorala and Ceylon Ships’ Agents Association Chairman Ralph Anandappa. The aviation hub’s main presenter is Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Dr. Ravindra Ruberu. The panellists will be Airport and Aviation Sri Lanka Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya, Civil Aviation Authority Director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri, SriLankan Airlines Chief Marketing Officer G.T. Jeyaseelan, Cinnamon Air Director Romesh David and Emirates Airline Sri Lanka and Maldives Area Manager Chandana de Silva. Post-lunch first session will be the commercial + tourism hubs with the main presentation by Urban Development Authority Director General Nihal Fernando and the panellists will be Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka CEO Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, Citrus Leisure Chairman Prema Cooray, Laugfs Holdings Ltd. Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya and EAP Holdings Ltd. Deputy Executive Deputy Chairman Mano Tittawela. The knowledge hub which will follow next will feature Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne as the main presenter. Panelists include University of Colombo Faculty of Management Dean Prof. H.D. Karunaratne, Commercial Bank Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody, SLASSCOM Chairman Madu Ratnayake and Codegen Ltd. CEO Harsha Subasinghe. The energy hub will see Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat Director General Saliya Wickramasuriya as the main presenter, with Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Dr. B.M.S. Batagoda, Wind Force Ltd. Director/CEO Manjula Perera and Energy Forum Executive Director Asoka Abeygunawardane as the panellists. Creative partner for the Forum is Triad and Official Printer is OfficeMax. Derana TV and Ada Derana are the official electronic media partners.