President says Sri Lanka needs more women at all leadership levels

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says Sri Lanka needs more women at all leadership levels.

In a twitter post, the President congratulated Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson on her appointment as as Group Chief Executive of Hemas Holdings PLC.

“It is important to have more women at all leadership levels in #LKA & this appt will surely inspire more women to reach new heights!” the President tweeted.

Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson is the first female CEO of a Sri Lankan conglomerate.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and other Ministers also congratulated her on social media.

Hemas Holdings PLC announced the appointment of Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1^st?October 2020, succeeding Steven Enderby. ?As part of a planned succession, Kasturi will take on the role of Deputy CEO and be appointed to the Board of Hemas Holdings PLC, effective 1^st?July 2020.

In a career spanning two decades at Hemas, Kasturi rose through the ranks to become the Chief Process Officer and thereafter in 2011 she took on the leadership of the aviation, travel and mobility businesses of the Group. In 2016, Kasturi was tasked with leading Hemas Pharmaceuticals, where she worked closely with all stakeholders to satisfy emerging patient needs whilst delivering sustainable growth in a challenging regulatory environment.

Kasturi is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. She has attended many leadership programmes over the span of her career, most notably the Senior Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School. Over the years, she has actively contributed to industry forums and committees. She serves as a Board member of Capital Alliance Ltd and is the President of the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry. Kasturi was also recognized by the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 2019 and awarded a position on its prestigious list of Women Changemakers. (Colombo Gazette)