The National HR Conference (NHRC), organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, was held at the Monarch Imperial, Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte on June 5 and 6.
It was held on the theme, Navigating the HR Horizon.
The keynote address was by, Co-founder and Managing Director of Executives’ Global Network (EGN), Nick Jonssonwho dwelled on the topic “Leading with Purpose and Authenticity”. The chief guest High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha emphasised the importance of the HR sector discipline and its future.
On the second day, Senior Faculty and Program Director at Singapore Management University (Executive Development) Dr. Tanvi Gautam spoke on the theme of the conference. Priyantha Ranasinghe moderated the session,
The panel discussion on “Do without being told – Sustainability is a Mindset”, highlighted the practical strategies for embedding sustainability into everyday operations moderated by Ken Vijayakumar. The panellists were Prof. Sarath Kotagama, Dr. Rohan Fernando, and Ms. Amanthi Perera.
“AI-enabled HR for Greater Productivity” was a key topic which provided thought provoking concepts. This session was moderated by Dhammika Fernando and the panellists were Jehan Perinpanayagam, Damitha Jayasinghe, and Ms. Lydia Mascarenhas. The panel discussion on “DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in the local context, is it a myth?” explored whether DEI initiatives are genuinely embraced and implemented. The panellist were Ms. Rosanna Flamer Caldera, Isuru Gunasekera and Ms. Bani Chandrasena. The moderator was Ms. Davina Kern.
“Leading to the Unknown” session gave insights on how organisations and HR Leaders should adapt themselves to unknown conditions. The panellists were Hiran Cooray, Dr. Samitha Perera and Ms. Zahara Ansary. Janaka Kumarasinghe moderated the session. Neurologist and author, Dr. Sweta Adatia, spoke on Distress and Eustress. She said that Distress is stress that negatively affects people while Eustress is a stress that has positive effects on you.
The grand finale of the Great HR Debate highlighted the evolving perspectives within the HR community, showcasing the value of both technological and human-centered approaches. After a thought-provoking exchange, IFS R & D International was crowned the winner, emphasising the importance of human-centric methods in HR, while Nestlé Lanka advocated for an HR tech-driven approach, securing the runner-up position.
