Well-known business professional, Deepal Sooriyaarachchi has recently been conferred the title of ‘Accredited Master Coach & Mentor’ (AMC/M) by the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring (IAPC&M).  Based in the United Kingdom. IAPC&M provides accreditation for professional coaches, mentors, training providers and corporate in-house programmes across the globe that pass their vigorous criteria and commit to honour their exacting industry standards for the protection of the end user. 

 

Deepal was awarded his accreditation after the IAPC&M validated his wealth of training, authenticated his certification and practically assessed his professional experience in the areas of coaching and mentoring as practiced throughout his career that expands nearly three decades.  Consequently, he is the natural choice when contemporaries seek coaching, and or mentoring, personally and or professionally. Now that the highest industry authority in the world has endorsed his capabilities, Deepal will obviously continue to provide these services while enriching the management development work he currently engages in.

 

The IAPC&M uses a rigorous assessment process to maintain such high standards when accrediting anyone, be they a practitioner, senior, master or fellow coach/mentor.  Deepal supplied over forty testimonials, reflective case studies and conducted several live coaching sessions as well as being interviewed before achieving his AMC/M status.  Ongoing CPD is also a fundamental part of accreditation.

 

Deepal currently focuses more on mentoring very senior managers mostly in the C suite and to business leaders. Deepal is a marketer by profession with a passion for developing people. He counts over three decades of industry experience. He was the Managing Director of AVIVANDB Insurance (Currently known as AIA) before embarked on full time consultancy work. He also served as the Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission for three years afterwards. He currently functions as a consulting partner of Results Based Leadership Organization USA: co founded by Prof Dave Ulrich and also as an independent Consulting partner of MAGI Research and Consultants in India. He also serves on a number of leading boards as an independent non-executive director. A prolific writer Deepal has authored over 15 books in Sinhala and in English published in Sri Lanka and UK as well. He is a much sought-after speaker, trainer and a management consultant. Deepal has conducted training programs, consultancy projects, and professional presentations in eleven countries across all five continents in the world.
 

Deepal is specially known for his ability to draw from the ancient wisdom of Asia especially Buddhism to modern day business and management issues.  Which is reflected very much in his articulation of his people development philosophy. While speaking to us following his accreditation as a Master Mentor and a Coach, he spelled out his philosophy as follows.

 

“In late nineteen eighties I stayed in a Zen monastery in Japan for a few weeks. During this stay I had the opportunity of taking part in the traditional tea ceremony conducted by Zen monks. Explaining various steps of the tea ceremony the Abbot of the temple clarified the reason for bowing to each other when offering and accepting tea. According to the Zen belief every human being has the same potential to become an enlightened person one day, the highest level of mental development. This is called the Buddha Nature. Therefore when one person offers she does so to a person with Buddha Nature. When receiving the other person also consider that a person with Buddha Nature is presenting him. Hence both of them respect each other’s ultimate potential or the Buddha Nature. My attitude towards developing people was significantly conditioned by this unique experience. For me coaching and mentoring is a spiritual experience”. My coaching and mentoring practice built on four principles.

 

• Every individual has immense potential and my duty is to help that person discover that potential and the path to realizing it. There is a bigger reason why I got the opportunity to coach or mentor this person, so I give it my best 

 

• My Task is to help the person discover the brilliance within him/her little by little, Moment to Moment

 

• Build my practice on the four cornerstones of Metta (Loving kindness/ friendliness) Karuna (Compassion) Muditha ( Unselfish Joy) and Upekkha ( Eqanimimity)

 

• Using the skill of mindfulness throughout the process 

 

I am humbled by this recent recognition of my competencies by the International Authority for Coaching and Mentoring and gives me greater encouragement in doing what I love, developing people. I have been helping many young professionals who are at thresholds of assuming greater responsibilities in their careers. Compared to their predecessors today’s executives have to shoulder greater responsibilities much earlier in their life and they are constantly challenged to perform in an environment that is constantly changing. This poses extreme pressures on them and they need extra help to face them. The assistance of a professional coach or a mentor can mean a lot. Sometimes it is that extra perspective, reassurance is all what is needed for a person to move to the next stage. In a world where there is very little time to observe, reflect and learn from the phenomena it is nothing but common sense to have a professional help from an experienced coach or a mentor.”

 

Deepal is always accessible by e mail on [email protected]