The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the national body of marketing announced that "the world's foremost expert on the strategic practice of marketing" Prof. Philip Kotler was made an Honorary Fellow of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) in recognition of his achievements and extraordinary influence to the marketing fraternity during the "Knowledge Forum" held at the Water's Edge recently. Mr. Thushara Perera President SLIM awarded the membership to Professor Kotler amidst a large gathering of over 1000 marketing and management professionals at the conference.

Speaking at the occasion Mr. Thushara Perera - President SLIM said, "The SLIM body fully sponsored Professor Kotler's visit to Sri Lanka providing local marketing professionals a platform to gain valuable insights from the world renowned marketing specialist. We consider it an honour at this point to recognise the value Professor Kotler has brought to the whole Sri Lankan marketing fraternity".

Professor Philip Kotler is the third individual to be conferred with the Honorary Fellow Member status of Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the other two individuals being Dr. Hermawan Kartajaya and Professor Uditha Liyanage. Dr. Hermawan Kartajaya is regarded as an expert in the field of marketing. In 2002 Dr. Hermawan Kartajaya was appointed WMA President of the World Marketing Association. He is also registered as one of the top fifty gurus who have shaped the future of marketing. The other honorary is Sri Lanka's Professor Uditha Liyanage, who is a leading marketer and the Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). The University of Canberra, appointed Professor Liyanage as an Adjunct Professor of Management.

Professor Philip Kotler is the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Chicago. He is known to many as the author of what is widely recognized as the most authoritative textbook on marketing: Marketing Management. He has also authored or co-authored dozens of leading books on marketing.

Kotler developed new concepts in marketing including de-marketing, mega-marketing, turbo-marketing and synchro-marketing. He believes that marketing theory needs to go beyond price theory and incorporate the dynamics of innovation, distribution and promotion systems into analyzing, explaining and predicting economic outcomes. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and South America, advising and lecturing many companies about how to apply sound economic and marketing science principles to increase their competitiveness.

Kotler has been consulted by many large companies, including IBM, Michelin, Bank of America, Merck, General Electric, Honeywell, Samsung, Coca Cola, Hyundai and Motorola - in the areas of marketing strategy, planning and organization, and international marketing.

In addition, Professor Kotler has published more than one hundred articles in leading journals, including the Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, Business Horizons, California Management Review, and the Journal of Marketing. Prof. Kotler presents continuing seminars on leading marketing concepts and developments to companies and organizations in the U.S., Europe and Asia.