CIPM NHRC 2019 takes HR to a higher level

CIPM Sri Lanka President and APFHRM Director Dhammika Fernando (4th from left) and Chief Guest WFPMA Secretary General Bob Morton, NHRC 2019 Organising Committee Chairman Ajith Bopitiya, together with CIPM officials at the NHRC 2019 inauguration ceremony

CIPM Sri Lanka – the nation’s leader in human resource management held its flagship annual event the National Human Resource Conference (NHRC) on 17 and 18 September at the BMICH in Colombo. Taking into consideration the proliferation of disruptive technology and its effects on life itself, the workplace and the way we work and live, the conference was aptly themed as ‘Radically Reinvented Reality’. 

CIPM President Dhammika Fernando, members of the Executive Governing Council of CIPM, Immediate Past President Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri, NHRC 2019 Organising Committee Chairman Ajith Bopitiya, CIPM CEO P.G. Tennakoon together with Chief Guest World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) Secretary General Bob Morton, participated at the Conference. 

More than 1200 HR professionals, business leaders and academics including foreign delegates of mutual exchange programs representing National People Management Associations of neighbouring countries including India, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh together with their Presidents participated at the Conference which was organised to conform to international standards. 

“This is the first NHRC under my tenure as President, and also the first since CIPM was awarded the ‘Charter’ status which is a significant milestone in our journey to be the leading professional body in human resource management. The NHRC 2019 is also the precursor and stepping stone to hosting the mega people management conclave ‘The World HR Congress2020’ in Colombo next year,” said Dhammika Fernando in his welcome address at the inauguration ceremony of the NHRC 2019.

“We are delighted to inform you that the theme, format, programme and the contributors that we have selected for the NHRC 2019 is most inspiring. This will take the delegates of the NHRC 2019 to a new dimension in human resource management,” he added. 

Delivering the keynote address on ‘HR Mega Trends for a New Era’, Bob Morton said that in a world being increasingly dominated by technology and the disruption that it brings with it, it is important to bring the human element back into human resource/people management. 

A well-designed ‘CIPM Events App’ was available to all participants to download free of charge which provided much needed information on the venue, speakers, locations, etc. for the convenience of the participants. In addition, the participants were able to pose their questions to the speakers and vote through the app which increased the participation levels and interactivity while providing a more conducive and inclusive environment for participation.

The agenda and program over the two days put together by Ajith Bopitiya and his team was well received by the participants. The first event on the agenda on Day 1 was the presentation by Hayleys Plantations PLC, the winner of the CIPM Great HR Practices competition, on their winning ‘Green HR Drive’ initiative followed by the Grand Finale of the CIPM Great HR Debate 2019 – the only corporate debating championship dedicated to human resource management – between Aitken Spence PLC (proposer) and Citizens Development Bank (opposer) on the topic of ‘Radical Reinvention can be replaced by human behavioural adaptability’. The opposing team CDB was adjudged the winner by the panel of judges. 

Thereafter the much looked after event the ‘CIPM Lifetime Gold Award’ ceremony which selects and recognises the most exceptional member of CIPM for his/her unparalleled contribution to advance the human resource management discipline in Sri Lanka was held under the Chairmanship of President – CIPM Sri Lanka. Dr. Neil Bogahalanda – Senior HR Consultant and CIPM Council Member, former Head of HR – Royal Ceramics PLC was awarded the CIPM Lifetime Gold Award for his contributions to the HR fraternity.

Day 1 of NHRC 2019 concluded with a fellowship and networking session with cocktails and dinner which was an important event for the participating delegates to establish and rekindle their networks and relationships with each other.  

The HR Service Providers Exhibition held alongside the NHRC 2019 over the two days was declared open by Chief Guest/Past President CIPM Sri Lanka Rohitha Amarapala. Leading solution providers displayed and demonstrated their solutions which gave the delegates an opportunity to explore and familiarise themselves with the solutions and technologies available in the market.      

Day 2 opened with a keynote by Suresh Surenthiran on ‘Empowering Employees Digitally – A Performance Powerhouse’ which was followed by elective concurrent sessions on Digitalisation, Spirituality and Environment. The concurrent sessions were followed by a Master Class on ‘Practical Advice to Modern HR Practitioners in Changing Times’ by Shanthi Naresh. The closing keynote delivered by Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri – Immediate Past President, CIPM Sri Lanka on ‘Radically Reinvented Reality – A New HR Paradigm’ brought the proceedings of the NHRC 2019 to a close.