IDL emerges champion at CIPM Great HR Quiz 2026

International Distillers Limited (IDL), one of Sri Lanka’s foremost spirits manufacturers with a distinguished legacy spanning over four decades, achieved a major milestone by winning CIPM Great HR Quiz 2026, in its debut appearance at the competition, defeating 74 other teams of experienced HR professionals from across all industries. 

In addition to being the overall winners, IDL clamed the winner in the Food, Beverage and Distillery Category. 

Organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, the Great HR Quiz was first introduced in 2014 and has since become the country’s only national-level quiz dedicated entirely to human resource management. The 2026 edition marked a key turning point for the competition, with a refreshed format that made it more challenging than ever before. This year’s quiz moved away from simple knowledge-based questions and focused strongly on real-life HR situations, testing participants on decision-making, problem-solving and strategic thinking across the entire employee life cycle.

Despite being its first time participating, IDL delivered an outstanding performance. Competing against experienced teams from well-established organisations, the IDL team showed exceptional confidence, clarity and strong teamwork, ultimately emerging as overall champions against formidable competition. 

The winning team consisted of Hansanie Illangakoon, Chaminda de Seram, Prasad Gunathilaka and Ashan Maraweerahewa. Their success was driven by meticulous preparation, clear thinking under pressure and seamless collaboration, reflecting IDL’s emphasis on continuous learning, teamwork and practical application of HR knowledge in real-world business scenarios.