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Thursday, 29 December 2011 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Suresh D. De mel
Deshabandu Patrick Amarasinghe, doyen of Sri Lankan entrepreneurship, celebrated his birthday on 24 December 2011.
The man Dr. Saman Kelegama once referred to as the “Godfather of Entrepreneurship” can boast of a many faceted career: Accountant, entrepreneur, exporter, trade chamber leader, nationalist and social entrepreneur.
After completing his education and having qualified as an accountant, he joined the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon (Lake House Group).
As a man who always put others before self, social problems were always major concerns. Amarasinghe was perhaps one of the few who realised that the simmering unrest of the country in the late ’60s and ’70s was mainly due to unemployment especially among educated youth and not, as the majority believed, due to poverty.
The 1971 Sri Lanka holocaust very strongly brought home to Amarasinghe the dire need of employment generation for educated youth. Devastated by this horrific carnage, this man with an absolutely ingrained sense of social responsibility decided to follow the dictates of his conscience and embarked on a course of action that only he would have dared to take and many perceived as a case of “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”.
Venture into entrepreneurship
He left his secure job and decided to venture into entrepreneurship in every sense of the Anglo derivative of the French word ‘entre’ meaning ‘risk taker’. His main goals were to earn much-needed foreign exchange for the country and create employment for youth.
Carpentry being his hobby, he decided to manufacture wooden educational toys. With the right royal capital of Rs. 65 in his pocket, he ventured forth into what he termed “a backyard operation in his home.”
This was no mean feat in the then closed economy with stringent foreign exchange rules, import restrictions and tight regulations regarding registration of businesses, etc. Yet, Amarasinghe in his indomitable way overcame all obstacles through sheer will and determination and help from good friends.
In 1971 Woodplex was established to manufacture wooden educational toys. In 1974 Woodplex was incorporated as a limited liability company, which was wholly export-oriented. The same year Woodplex captured the American market and thereafter the Japanese and European markets.
Apart from educational toys Woodplex expanded to specialise in ‘multipurpose space-saving and space-making furniture’. Amarasinghe became the well loved ‘Woodplex Uncle’ in the very popular ‘Woodplex Club’ in the Sunday Observer – a club sponsored by him as a novel and innovative marketing strategy. Woodplex won four National Export Awards in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1985. Tight control of timber felling led to a scarcity of raw material. Nothing daunted Amarasinghe, who revolutionised the wood industry by using treated rubber wood for his products and successfully overcoming consumer concern about its safety and quality.
Furnifits Ltd. was established in 1980 as an associate company of Woodplex to create a wide range of utility multipurpose furniture, including knockdown furniture made of rubber wood. Furnifits was the first branded furniture introduced to the market.
Social entrepreneur
Amarasinghe has always been an ardent lobbyist for liberal economic policies, development of small and medium entrepreneurs, recognition of private sector and for national policies geared to creating investment, employment and sustainable development. He is also a strong advocate for CSR among the private sector.
1972 saw the germination of what has become his life’s vocation now – a social entrepreneur. He was chosen as a participant in the ‘Experiment in Living Programme’ – headquartered in Vermont, USA. This not only gave him the business breakthrough he was looking for to break into foreign markets, but also provided him the opportunity to lay the foundation for his dream of social reform through entrepreneur culture.
On this visit he came into contact with Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA) – the world’s fastest growing and oldest non profit organisation for economic and business education. Amarasinghe, with his extraordinary ability to see not only the two sides of a coin but every facet in it, realised at once that the Junior Achievement Programme customised to Sri Lankan needs was the ideal means to introduce entrepreneurship culture to Sri Lankan youth. However, it took him approximately two decades to make his dream become a reality.
Green light for YESL
For this long period of time Amarasinghe kept in touch with JA and in 1996 JA gave him permission to start the Junior Achievement Worldwide Programme in Sri Lanka. In 1998 the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education gave the green light and Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL) was established in 1998 and registered as a non profit organisation to carry out the JA programme. The inaugural programme was at Isipatana College, Colombo 5. Due to Amarasinghe’s efforts, Sri Lanka is a member nation of JA and YESL is the Sri Lankan franchise holder for JA. Today, YESL implements the programme countrywide. YESL also collaborates with HSBC in the ‘Future First’ programme.
‘Future First’ is a project initiated through HSBC’s Global Education Trust and supported by HSBC Sri Lanka to empower ‘at risk’ children from disadvantaged communities through entrepreneurship education. YESL is the implementer of this programme, which covers 10 schools and centres in poverty-stricken communities. The target group is 1,000 children.
At the request of the Higher Education Ministry of Sri Lanka, YESL is now engaged in introducing entrepreneurship culture to all Sri Lankan universities. Amarasinghe is lobbying for changes in education policies so that entrepreneurship can be a truly viable option for students.
YESL is also Sri Lanka's host for the Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Trade chambers
Along with his meteoric rise in the industry, Amarasinghe became heavily involved with the trade chambers.He was President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) from 1992 to 1998 – the first time a President has been unanimously elected beyond two years.
During his tenure, he initiated the Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Scheme at provincial and national level and a human resources development division. He was also instrumental in publishing the first career guidance directory.
He is also the Founder President/President Emeritus of the National Chamber of Exporters Sri Lanka (NCE) 1986 to 2002. He held this position for a record 15 years and was responsible for the initiation of the Sri Lanka Exporter Magazine and the Annual NCE Export Awards Scheme in 1992.
At the 25th Anniversary of the NCE on 29 November he was the Chairman of the Organising Committee. He used this occasion to issue another timely clarion call: “Let us all unite to make Sri Lanka truly independent.”
He has held many other prestigious positions during his time, including the following:
He has also served on several policy making bodies.
The President of Sri Lanka conferred Amarasinghe with the national honour ‘Deshabandu’ for his socioeconomic contribution towards the country.
He was also presented the Most Outstanding Award for 1992-1995 by Lions Club International District 306 A Sri Lanka in recognition of his superlative contribution to community welfare and development in business and commerce.
Today, Amarasinghe is a dedicated social entrepreneur, leading YESL from the front.
