Cargills Foods CEO Sidath Kodikara heads Institute of Hospitality SL
View(s):The Sri Lanka Chapter of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality recently revealed its intent to align its goals with those of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators and the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association for the benefit of the industry.
This strategic move was indicated in a recent announcement wherein the organisation named Sidath Kodikara as the local chapter’s incoming President.
Further, according to the announcement, the institute also signalled that it will “further enhance its role as the interface between the industry and professional education to partner both the industry and its human capital in the quest for growth”.
“Our aim as an organisation is to give professional recognition to our members by continuing professional development and training towards continuously enhancing industry standards,” commented Mr. Kodikara.
He also added that “[infrastructure] alone is not going to get us to where the Industry wants to be. Industry professionals are required to rise up to the challenge to deliver the service and quality standards that can attract and retain tourists in our market. Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates in South Asia and a well-developed education and vocational training system. The country has a large pool of skilled and semi-skilled workers, highly regarded for their precision, quality and productivity. So the potential of the available human resources is tremendous”.
A founder member of the institute’s Sri Lanka Chapter, as well as also having served on its first committee, Mr. Kodikara is the Chief Executive Officer of Cargills Foods, and a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality UK.
Additionally, his career in the local hospitality industry has included stints with the Taj Samudra, the Colombo Hilton, and the former Lanka Oberoi.
Elected the incoming president at the chapter’s June 20 Annual General Meeting, Mr. Kodikara will be aided by the following: “S. Anandaraj as Senior Vice Chairman, Renuka Jayamanne, Vice Chairperson, Sugath Illagakoon, Secretary, and Eraj Abeywardana, Treasurer. Harsha Jaysinghe, Keerthi Wickramasinghe, Ramesh Dassanayaka, Asoka Jayawardana, Samantha Gunaratne, Thusitha Samaraweera and Rehan Razeen make up the rest of the Executive Council”. (JH)