Presidential Address delivered by the newly elected President Mr. T. Anver Dole at the 30th Annual General Meeting of IMSL held on 27th May,2008 at the Auditorium of OPA

                               Immediate past President Colonel Faiz, Emeritus President Mr. Mansoor Ghouse, past President Mrs. Rohini Nanayakkara, members of the Council, fellow-members of the IMSL, at the very outset may I express my sincere thanks for the confidence reposed in me by unanimously electing me as the new President at the 30th AGM of the IMSL. May I re-assure every one of you that I will do my utmost to steer the IMSL to greater heights in the year ahead.

    I will be failing in my duty if I do not place on record the dedicated service rendered by the outgoing president Colonel Faiz and the outgoing secretary Nujith. Nujith was always available at any time of the day or night. He worked willingly for the betterment of the IMSL. IPP Faiz was always a tower of strength and made a special effort to attend all board meetings of the Asian Association of Management Organizations (AAMO). He quickly moved-in to re-imburse costs by way of sponsorship, whenever the IMSL encountered financial problems. This was specially so with the Management Quiz Game conducted in collaboration with the All India Management Association (AIMA ).

    A warm welcome to the new Secretary, Malraj Kiriella, and the new Asst. Secretary, Manu Tissera - Gunasekara. I am confident that our Institute will benefit tremendously by their experience and expertise.

    Friends, the precursor to the IMSL, the Sri Lanka Management Association was launched by that legendary leader, the late Mallory Wijesinghe, thirty years ago. Unfortunately the IMSL has not risen to its full potential. We need to re-vamp our activities and rejuvenate the IMSL. Our Secretariat itself needs a facelift. We need to market the IMSL and attract the corporate sector to our fold.

    We need to focus on a concerted membership drive. We need to offer more benefits to our members. The time has come for change fresh ideas and fresh thinking must permeate the fabric of the IMSL.

    Our biennial National Management Conference (NMC), which I had the privilege of chairing on the last two occasions, continues to be the major fund – raiser of the IMSL. We need to generate more income by launching new programs. Commencement of the Management Diploma course, eventually leading to a degree, is of paramount importance. To make these a reality we need the fullest support and commitment of the entire Council of Management.

    We will continue our close links with the Kerala Management Association (KMA ). I had the honour of leading a 5- person delegation to the very grand 50th anniversary celebrations of the KMA, held in Cochin recently.

    By the end of this year, hopefully, we will be upgraded from the current Associate status to a fully fledged Member of AAMO. As the only recognized national Management body from Sri Lanka, the AAMO recognition will do much to boost our stature and image.

    Friends, we live in difficult times. The current scenario is bleak and dismal. Our economy is in shambles. Inflation is approaching a staggering 30 per cent. Bribery and corruption is rampant. Good governance is conspicuous by its absence. We therefore have a major role to play. Let us strive to be the management voice of the corporate sector.

    Once again, thank you very much for electing me as your new President. I will do my very best to meet and exceed your expectations.

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