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To Amanda, Our darling
Senu Baba, To the cute
Familian, My dream
girl Samanmalee, My everloving
chooti Namali, To Nicole, To Thushan
of SAC 2002 My lost
world Lanka, My darling
hubby Sanji, To my darling
JFS, Thushan, Dear Poorna, Dear Lazeeka, Hi Jacky, Monica
hosts Mr Personality Lewinsky has
been lined up by US network Fox to front dating show Mr Personality.
The idea behind
Mr Personality is that a group of men have their faces covered as
they try to court a beautiful woman. The woman,
who cannot see their faces, will eliminate a contestant each week
until one man is crowned winner. "The combination
of Monica Lewinsky with a concept like Mr Personality will result
in a big tune-in," said creator Bruce Nash. "It's
already a unique concept, and she's certainly well-known."
Lewinsky was approached to take part in the US version of Celebrity Boxing but turned it down. Speaking about her new assignment, she said: "Since Fox is the network that has had the greatest success with the reality genre, I was very excited when they approached me to host the show. It sounds like good fun." Union
Assurance at the top UAL's presence
in the provinces will be further consolidated tomorrow, March 31,
when the company will ceremonially open its own premises, the Union
Assurance Centre in Kurunegala. This move is a first for UAL and
validates the company's policy of owning the building it occupies.
The Union Assurance Centre in Kurunegala is a four-storied modern
building, complete with all amenities required by today's key business
organisations. UAL's Kurunegala branch occupies the entire second
floor. The balance four floors will be leased to selected tenants.
The company will pursue a similar strategy in setting up its own
buildings in other regions as well. Taking the
company to the provinces provides residents of the area with a service
to their doorstep, enhances service efficiency and increases customer
accessibility to UAL's wide portfolio of life and general insurance
products. Developing a provincial network has several other benefits
to residents as well. For instance, the company's policy of recruiting
and training people from the area it operates in, ensures that UAL's
presence in the locality is of immense economic benefit to its people
as well. Union Assurance is unique in that it is a learning organisation
with a keen interest in developing people. "We have
extended our branch network throughout the island to serve residents
of the area as their chosen partner in insurance as well as to build
business confidence. We are also firmly committed to develop the
regions we occupy, and take an active part in community activities,"
explained UAL CEO Mr. Hydery Rehmanjee. UAL's GM Marketing,
Mr. Ramal Jasinghe reiterated this. "We at UAL believe that
our relationship with our customers goes far beyond the sale. We
believe in creating long-lasting partnerships by meeting our customers'
needs through customised products and personalised service. Taking
our business to our customers' doorstep is one way of achieving
this." UAL has many
other firsts under its belt as well. Two pioneering ventures in
particular, focus on UAL's emphasis on its rural base. UAL was the
first private enterprise to venture into the war-torn territory
of Jaffna last May. Pioneering business operations in the north
gave the company the first entry advantage and enabled it to utilise
the vast business potential of the peninsula. The company
is also the first insurer in Sri Lanka to go on-line, and now has
41 of its 44 branches connected with state-of-the-art frame relay
technology that links UAL's branches with its central office. This
facilitates the sharing of centralised resources and vital information
as well as intranet facilities across the network, which ensures
that branches have up-to-the-minute information on clients, products
and the industry. An experienced and qualified staff provides the
personal touch. UAL is now
in its 15th year, since it commenced business in January 1988 as
a composite insurer providing life and general insurance to a private
as well as a corporate clientele. Backed by the corporate might
of blue chip companies - the John Keells Group, Aitken Spence and
Co. and Carson Cumberbatch and Co. Ltd., UAL's shareholder base
is further strengthened by a 15% shareholding of IFC (International
Finance Corporation), the private sector financial arm of the World
Bank. UAL also owns
its head office, the Union Assurance Centre in Colombo, into which
it moved in 1994. Spanning an area of 55,000 sq.ft., the UAL Centre
is situated on 94 perches of land. "We are committed to constantly improve our products, standards of service and quality. Our position in the insurance industry has been attained through the strength of our reputation for reliability, based on financial strength, the commitment of our major shareholders and high standards of corporate government," concluded Mr. Rehmanjee. |
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