The eagerly-anticipated 10th edition of the 'Top 50' Professional and Career Women Awards 2020’ will be evaluated by a panel of eminent judges, many of whom are top achievers in their own right, across diverse sectors. The selection of this panel of prominent corporate leaders as judges for the awards reflects the respected credentials of the awards which value women who have succeeded in careers, businesses and everyday life, inspiring others. The awards (nominations for which are open until 15 September 2020 on www.womeninmanagementawards.org) are launched by Women in Management (WIM), in collaboration with Women in Work, a partnership between IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Government of Australia.

This year’s panel of judges will face the difficult task of evaluating a strong line-up of applicants from various industries. Nevertheless, the combined professional experience of the judging panel is a testimonial to how well-positioned they are to ensure the judging process is free, fair and truly reflective of the recipient’s achievements. The panel will be chaired by Shiromal Cooray, Chairman & Managing Director of Jetwing Travels; H.E. David John Holly, High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka; Nadija Tambiah, Executive Vice-President of John Keells Group; Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, CEO of Clootrack Sri Lanka/Maldives & Pakistan; Sarah Twigg, Program Manager of Women in Work at IFC; Nisthar Casim, Editor of Daily Finance Times; Jayanthi Dharmasena, Managing Director of Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd; Kumara Samarasinghe, Marketing Consultant; Thamari Senanyake, Associate Director Corporate of Regulatory Affairs & Consumer Care, Fontera Brands Lanka (Pvt) Ltd; and Rohan Maskorala, CEO of Shippers Academy Colombo (Pvt) Ltd.

Commenting on the awards, Shiromal Cooray – Chairperson of the judging panel said: “It is a privilege to be in the panel of judges for the 10th WIM Top 50 Women’s awards. These awards are eagerly awaited as they recognize women from different strata of our society who are involved in various diverse sectors. To become an awardee, she has to not just be involved in a vocation or an enterprise but she must create an impact or be a change agent or an inspiration/role model to other aspiring young women. This will be a major criterion in our selection process. So, we are as excited as those who have applied as we look forward to sharing many award worthy stories, deliberating on them and selecting the worthiest winner.”

“The Top 50 awards for women is a great initiative by WIM and IFC as it acknowledges that women play an important role in our society in diverse areas and recognizes them and awards the most outstanding contributors. On behalf of the panel, I would like to wish every applicant the best and may the most deserving win.” She further stated.

The awards, which have expanded globally with presence in Canada and the Maldives, are not only a catalyst for the award winner’s own career or business trajectory, but also encourage many other aspiring women to shatter the glass ceiling, propelling them to reach higher in their chosen field. The awards ceremony will take place in Colombo on the 25th of November 2020 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.