Seated from left front row: IIHRM Lead Consultant Dr. Marlon Ferreira, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Vice Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa, Access Engineering PLC Chairman Sumal Perera, IIHRM Chief Consultant Ranjeewa Kulatunga, Gen (Rtd) Daya Ratnayake, Defence Secretary Gen (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne, Sri Lanka Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Sri Lanka Army Chief of Staff Maj Gen W.L.P.W. Perera, Sri Lanka Navy Deputy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Y.N. Jayarathna, Director Admin Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila, Military Secretary Brig. General Ajith Kolambathanri and Naval Secretary Commodore Vijitha Marapana
Military to Corporate (M2C) Entrepreneurship Capsule, the second batch of 24 serving officers, comprising 12 Major Generals, three Brigadiers, four Rear Admirals and five Commodores/Air Commodores, took the salute in a fitting finale before sunset at Water’s Edge, with Defence Secretary Gen Kamal Gunaratne as the chief guest.
The initiative, which is sponsored by Access Engineering PLC Group Chairman Sumal Perera, was initially launched in March 2021, for retired officers. This is the first time that the initiative has opened for the serving officers of the tri-forces and it was a tremendous success, said Gen (Rtd) Daya Ratnayake, the Patron and initiator of M2C in Sri Lanka.
The conversion kit that will help transform the military veterans into corporate trailblazers ready to lead private or state-run organisations will encompass adoption of corporate work ethic and strategic thinking, people management and work agendas driven by wealth creation on the cutting-edge of technology and knowledge transfer, said Ranjeewa Kulatunga, Patron for the Alumni of IPMA-HR.USA in Sri Lanka and Managing Director of Intercontinental Institute of Human Resource Management (IIHRM), which leads the groundbreaking programme.
The nominations are managed by the M2C operational directorate headed by Major General K.T.A.D.S. Kolambathantri (RWP RSP USP psc IG), SLAF Director Admin Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila, Commodore Vijitha Marapana and M2C Military Coordinating Officer Col. Sujeewa Rathnayake, under the direction of the tri-force commanders in collaboration with OCDS.
The carefully picked IIHRM team of corporate consultants, who facilitated the sessions, led by Kulatunga, world speaker and Sensei International Founder Omar Khan, Dr. Marlon Ferreira, Brandix Group GM Talent Development Kumara Galhenage, IIHRM Lead Consultant Faraz Farook, IIHRM Chief Consultant and Sensei Asia Head Ranjan de Silva, Principal Advisor to President Lalith Weeratunga and IIHRM Chief Consultant and IIHE MD Bradley Emerson received appreciation awards from Gen. Gunaratne and the pre-course assessment was facilitated by Rukmani Manohar.
“As these professionals leave a distinguished military career, corporate Sri Lanka and state-run institutions have an invaluable opportunity to harness their superior skills and discipline. Trained to be officers and gentlemen, battle-hardened toughness is all but one part of their multi-faceted character and skill sets. Retiring officers must remain an invaluable asset to the country. We are indeed glad to be part of this laudable initiative working together alongside IIHRM and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce,” said Perera.
Access Engineering PLC is the resource partner for the M2C Military to Corporate Entrepreneurship Certification Capsule series.
Sri Lanka’s adoption to the universally-recognised concept of M2C was first proposed in a new strategic transformational framework for Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force with Kulatunga and Dr. Dinesh Watawana, among its authors during Gen. Ratnayake’s stewardship as Commander of SLA.
The specially designed immersion workshops give senior military officials a simulated experience in understanding how things click outside the military, the general business behaviour and just how to embrace the change while pointing them towards modern skill sets they must acquire on the cutting-edge – especially with the introduction of a pre-module assessment centre to determine the competency gaps of the participating officers makes the initiative valid, reliable and relevant to each individual, said Prof. Gunapala Nanayakkara, the iconic educationist, who is the head of the IIHRM Global Advisory Council.
The initiative was flagged under the auspicious of Gen Gunarathe, with Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana WWV and Bar, RWP and Bar, RSP and three Bars, VSV, USP, MSc (MOA) USA, MSc (Def Stu) in Mgt, M Phil (Ind), MIM (SL), ndc (Ind), psc, qfi and Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army Maj Gen W.L.P.W. Perera RWP RSP ndu along with Rear Admiral Y.N. Jayarathna RWP and Bar RSP USP ndu psc Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was represented by Vice Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa.
The official M2C website www.m2csrilankacenter.com that was created by the web sponsor Allion Technologies will showcase the CVs of the officers giving the corporates free access to engage with them directly – besides this the graduate placement partner the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce uses this website to drive the placement drive.
