Echelon’s 50 Most Powerful Women list celebrates Sri Lanka’s leading businesswomen and illustrates the challenges and rewards of being a woman in business today.
Every self-respecting firm is trying to improve the gender balance in their organization. Managers are now realizing that diversity can truly improve the quality of the decision at every level in firms. The rising tide of women in positions of influence is also altering the landscape at private sector firms, start-ups and in government. An increasing number of women are founders, leaders and strategic managers at enterprises around the country. They are inspiring a next generation of leaders, bringing diversity of opinion, new perspectives and quickly becoming the central pivot of social good at firms. What better way to celebrate the mass arrival of women at workplaces than to recognise the impact they are having on business and to recognise the most influential among them in Echelon’s ranking.
How we pick the Power 50
The first rule of compiling this ranking is that everything is relative. It’s relative to the criteria we have chosen, the ranking of the others on the list and to the Sri Lankan context.
To determine the overall rank on the list of 50, we applied four metrics:
1. The size and importance of the organisation in the economy
2. The health and direction of the business
3. The arc of the career
4. Societal and cultural influence
The analysis was based on weights assigned to each of the four criteria. Echelon Editors depended on publicly available information and sources to gain an insight in to the careers of nearly 100 women out of which the top 50 were selected. In the final phase we spoke to most of the women themselves to better understand their careers and what they thought were the challenges that lie ahead. There were also some logical changes to the methodology. Unlike last year, when we looked at achievements during the entire career, this year we limited the look back to two years. We want this list to be of those who are contributing significantly to the future of business now, rather than be a list of those who have been. The second change we made was limit the universe to women who worked ‘for profit’ organizations applied broadly, because we found it tough to apply the same criteria for those in government and most non-profit sector organisations.
1. Renuka Fernando, Chief Executive, Nations Trust Bank
2. Ranga Ranmadugala, Chief Executive, Brandix Apparel Solutions
3. Linda Speldewinde, Founder, Academy of Design & Sri Lanka Design Festival
4. Otara Gunewardene, Founder, Odel
5. Sandamini Perera, Co-Founder & Deputy Chairperson, Prime Lands Group
6. Shamadanie Kiriwandeniya, Chairperson, Sanasa Development Bank
7. Sheamalee Wickramasingha, Group Managing Director, Ceylon Biscuits Limited
8. Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, Managing Director, Hemas Transportation Sector, Hemas Holdings
9. Nilanthi Sivapragasam, Chief Financial Officer, Aitken Spence
10. Manjula Mathews, Joint Managing Director, Dunamis Capital
11. Rajitha Jayasuriya, Director Legal, MAS Holdings
12. Amali Nanayakkara,Group Chief Marketing Officer, Dialog Axiata
13. Shiromi Rajendra, Chief Executive, MAS Legato
14. Neloufer Anverally, Founder & Managing Director, Cotton Collection
15. Dilani Alagaratnam, President, Group HR & Legal, John Keells Holding
16. Varuni Fernando, Co-Founder & Joint Managing Director, Triad
17. Joyce Gunawardene, Director Promotions, JAT Holdings
18. Nadija Tambiah, Head of Legal, John Keells Holding
19. Subhashini Abeysinghe, Senior Economic Analyst, Verité Research
20. Ashveeni Shanthikumar, Chief Executive, Capital Alliance Investments
21. Jayomi Lokuliyana, Co-Founder & Chief Executive, zMessenger
22. Ruvini Fernando, Chief Executive, Guardian Fund Management
23. Surekha Alles, Chief Executive, Allianz Insurance Lanka
24. Romesha Senerath, Executive Director & Group Chief Operating Officer, Entrust Group
25. Laila Gunesekere Martyenstyn, Vice President, Grant Group of Companies
26. Chandani Rajaratnam, Vice President & Chief Creative Officer, JWT
27. Sandra Wanduragala, Founder & Chairman and Selyna Peiris, Business Development Manager, Selyn Handlooms
28. Marianne Page,CT Smith
29. Neela Marikkar, Chairperson, Grant Group of Companies
30. Chandi Dharmaratne, Director of Human Resources, Virtusa
31. Saskia Fernando Hammoud, Gallery Director, Saskia Fernando Gallery
32. Darshi Keerthisena, Director Design, Buddhi Batiks
33. Shibani Renuka Thambiayah, Joint Managing Director, Renuka Hotels
34. Shiromal Cooray, Managing Director, Jetwing Travels
35. Coralie Pietersz, Finance Director, Finlays Colombo
36. Keshini Jayawardena, DGM Retail & SME Banking AND Ramanika Unamboowe, DGM Commercial Banking, Nations Trust Bank
37. Niloo Jayatilake, Director & Head of Portfolio Management, Ceylon Guardian
38. Ranee Jayamaha, Chairperson, Hatton National Bank
39. Siromi Wickramasinghe, Chairperson, HDFC Bank
40. Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, Managing Director, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Colombo
41. Sanjeewani Ranasinghe De Silva, Head Corporate Affairs/Brand & Marketing, Standard Chartered Bank
42. Sunela Jayawardene, Architect
43. Shehara Jayawardana, Director, McLarens Group of Companies
44. Kalani W Raux, Executive Director, Raux Brothers
45. Neela Jayawardena, Founder & Managing Director, House of Fashions
46. Annika Senanayake, Chief Executive, ART Television Broadcasting
47. Sandra De Zoysa, Group Chief Customer Officer, Dialog Axiata
48. Shahani Markus, Co-Founder & Chief Technical Officer, Auxenta
49. Nilusha Ranasinghe, Head, ACCA
50. Shehara De Silva, General Manager, Marketing & Sales, Janashakthi Insurance