The National HR Conference in ‘Search of HR Excellence’
View(s):The National HR Conference 2013, organized by the Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka (IPM), will be held on the 18 -19 June at the Water’s Edge, Colombo. The HR Conference is an annual event which highlights the global trends in human resource management (HRM), and brings together the local HR fraternity in building the best HR practices towards the development of Sri Lanka. Each year the conference features several inspiring and intriguing sub-events, and this year the event will feature four Technical Sessions, The Great HR Debate, the HR Service Providers’ Exhibition and the National HR Excellence Awards. This year’s conference will focus on the theme ‘In search of HR excellence: Thoughts, Tools, Teams’. J. Gordon Beckham, Jr. – President and Chief Executive Officer McCamish Systems, USA will be the keynote speaker at the conference.
The four technical sessions of the National HR Conference 2013 brings together the best practices and advanced concepts and knowledge of people management of some of the top business managers, leaders, and human resource management professionals and gurus. Three of the technical sessions, focussing on ‘Thoughts’, ‘Tools’ and ‘Teams’, derived from the three success factors of HR excellence: inspiring thoughts, innovative tools and integrating teams, have been specifically designed to provide a cognitive approach to HRM – more of a heart-felt and complete approach towards effective HRM.
The first technical session ‘Thoughts’ will focus on converting creating thinking to winning ideas. The session will feature the combined wisdom of Prof Uditha Liyanage – Professor of Management, PIM, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Adjunct Professor of Management, University of Canberra, Australia; and Dr Anura Ekanayake – Immediate Past Chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Former Chairman of the Industrial Association of Sri Lanka.
The second technical session, ‘Tools’, will aptly complement the ‘Thoughts’ by focussing on correct, appropriate and futuristic techniques, concepts, and processes. Technical knowledge for the session will be provided by Nathan Sivagananthan – CEO, MAS Intimates (Pvt) Limited and Board Member, MAS Holdings Apparel Board; Shankthi Ranatunga – Group HR Director, MAS Holdings (Pvt) Limited, Board Member, MAS Holdings Apparel Board; Rohan Goonetilleke – Mananging Director/CEO, Hayleys MGT Knitting Mills PLC; Sunil Dissanayake – Head of Group Human Resources, Hayleys Group; Ravi Jayawardena – CEO Sales and Marketing, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Pvt) Ltd; and Bandula Perera, Group General Manager, Maliban Group of Companies.
The third technical session, the concluding point of a holistic approach towards effective HRM, will focus on success of teamwork in gaining greater heights in organisational accomplishment. Inspirational team players, Ameer Ahamed – CEO Sri Lanka and Maldives for Franklin Covey South Asia and Results Coaching System South Asia (Neuro Leadership Group); Dushan Soza – Managing Director, WNS Sri Lanka; and Anoja Weerasinghe – Actress; will contribute at this session.
The fourth technical session, ‘Connect with Prof Dave Ulrich’ will be an excellent learning session focusing on the speaker’s own book ‘HR from the outside-in’. At this technical session Prof Ulrich will highlight six essential competencies HR professionals and practitioners require to drive their businesses towards success: Strategic Positioning, Credible Activist, Capability Builder, Change Champion, HR Innovator and Integrator, Technology Proponent. Prof Ulrich is a professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and Executive Director of the RBL Institute. He is passionate about HR strategies towards organisational successes.
All technical sessions are scheduled to be held on 19 June, which is the second day of the conference.
As in the previous years, the IPM will recognise and laud exceptional HR practitioners at the conference. The IPM Lifetime Gold Award, the most prestigious award recognising the highest achievement in HRM in Sri Lanka; the PQHRM – HR Professional of the Year award which recognises career excellence amongst IPM qualified HR personnel; and the National HR Excellence Award honouring the corporate sector for their contribution towards HRM best practices, are up for grabs this year. This much anticipated event, which most HR practitioners consider the ‘high’ of the year will be held on the first day of the conference, 18 June.
The countdown to the conference is likely to coincide with the eager counting of the hours for the Great HR Debate where the corporate sector gets a chance to team-up to portray their challenging nature through their debating skills. Eloquent expression of one’s thoughts and driving a point across in a graceful manner is a talent in itself, and of course, a necessity in any organisational culture. Naturally a debate of this nature, where teams represent some of the outstanding organisations of the country, is also a test of knowledge, business management and refined contemplation. The Great HR Debate, which will be held on 18 June, will essentially be the best, and the most entertaining, event of the conference.
The HR Service Providers’ Exhibition will be held along with the conference at the same venue on 18 – 19 June. The exhibition is a key component of the conference as it provides a platform for HR service providers’ to connect with and showcase their services to the HR fraternity of the country. The conference essentially brings together over a thousand delegates providing the perfect forum for interaction between the parties. It also provides is a great networking opportunity for all parties. The most informative stall, the most innovative stall and the most customer oriented stall of the exhibition will also be adjudged at the conference.
The HR Conference being an annual event, portraying increasing success each year, and where the IPM continues to prove itself as the national leader in HR, has essentially become the most important event of the local HR fraternity. Over the years the IPM has strived to guide local organisations towards greater successes through the implementation of strategic, innovative and futuristic HRM practices. And this year’s conference agenda confirms that the IPM has yet again outdone itself and has in store an excellent learning platform for the HR fraternity of the country.
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