SLID Chairperson advocates ethical corporate governance

22 July 2015 03:19 am Views - 1325

Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) Chairperson Shiromal Cooray, ACMA, CGMA, recently shared her thoughts regarding corporate governance, sustainability and how the CIMA qualification adds value to the day-to-day operations of professionals.  

For Cooray, business leadership begins with honesty and integrity. A business leader must have the ability to understand a problem at a macro level, in addition to possessing leadership skills and being a team leader.  

“They must be bold to make timely decisions. Often there may be no right or wrong decision but it must be made at the right time,” elaborated Cooray.

With regards to challenges she has faced as a business leader, Cooray claims that women business leaders have not been taken seriously at times and run the risk of being labelled as being too aggressive. However, she believes there is certain toughness in every business leadership role.  

Cooray is also the Managing Director of Jetwing Travels - a leading eco-tourism organisation in the country.  

Spearheading a business, which values fair trade and environmental responsibility, Cooray claims that the inclusion of sustainability in business models is a necessity. 

She explained, “In my opinion, there is no choice regarding sustainability, it is a must.  Sustainability is something which should come from within a company’s ethos. Apart from that, it also makes business sense.”  

Cooray illustrated that CIMA can play a role in improving corporate governance and enhancing soft skills of aspiring directors. She encourages CIMA members join the Director Training Programme at the SLID. It is a training programme which enhances the skills of directors, through four modules focusing on corporate governance, boardroom responsibilities, strategic leadership and financial accountability. Upon completion of this training programme, they will be given the accreditation of the SLID and the SLID will be able to recommend them to prospective employers to take up leadership positions.

“The CIMA qualifications have been a very useful tool for me.  I think it makes you a rounded person due to the different aspects of the qualification. It trains your mind to approach issues analytically,” said Cooray.

She reiterated the importance of honesty and integrity to young CIMA professionals who are just taking up corporate leadership positions in the corporate sector. Her advice to young CIMA professionals is to be true to their selves. CIMA professionals have a good support network amongst themselves which becomes immensely helpful when seeking for job leads. Cooray concluded that with the CIMA qualification the ‘sky is the limit.’