Thursday Nov 28, 2024
Thursday Nov 28, 2024
Tuesday, 21 July 2015 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) Chairperson Shiromal Cooray, ACMA, CGMA, recently shared her thoughts regarding corporate governance, sustainability and how the CIMA qualification adds value to the day-to-day operations of professionals. For Shiromal, business leadership begins with honesty and integrity. A business leader must have the ability to understand a problem at a macro level, in addition to possessing leadership skills and being a team leader.
“They must be bold to make timely decisions. Often there may be no right or wrong decision but it must be made at the right time,” elaborated Shiromal. With regards to challenges she has faced as a business leader, Shiromal claims that women business leaders 
have not been taken seriously at times and run the risk of being labelled as being too aggressive. However, she believes there is a certain toughness in every business leadership role.
Shiromal is also the Managing Director of Jetwing Travels – a leading eco-tourism organisation in the country. Spearheading a business which values fair trade and environmental responsibility, Shiromal claims that the inclusion of sustainability in business models is a necessity. She explains, “In my opinion, there is no choice regarding sustainability; it is a must. Sustainability is something which should come from within a company’s ethos. Apart from that, it also makes business sense.”
Shiromal illustrates that CIMA can play a role in improving corporate governance and enhancing soft skills of aspiring directors. She encourages CIMA members to join the Director Training Program at SLID. It is a training program which enhances the skills of directors, through four modules focusing on corporate governance, boardroom responsibilities, strategic leadership and financial accountability. Upon the completion of this training program, they will be given the accreditation of G SLID and SLID will be able to recommend them to prospective employers to take up leadership positions.
“The CIMA qualifications have been a very useful tool for me. I think it makes you a rounded person due to the different aspects of the qualification. It trains your mind to approach issues analytically,” says Shiromal. She reiterated the importance of honesty and integrity to young CIMA professionals who are just taking up corporate leadership positions in the corporate sector. Her advice to young CIMA professionals is to be true to their selves. CIMA professionals have a good support network amongst themselves which becomes immensely helpful when seeking for job leads. Shiromal concludes that with the CIMA qualification the ‘sky is the limit’.
