Iconic diversified conglomerate, Hayleys PLC, continued to consolidate its steadfast reputation as a source of innovation and business excellence, having secured a place among the inaugural Top 10 Most Admired Companies of Sri Lanka.

Jointly organised by the International Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka (ICCSL) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Sri Lanka, the landmark event drew participation from Sri Lanka’s most successful listed and non-listed corporates, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe attended as Chief Guest, together with CIMA President Steven Swientozielskyj, FCMA CGMA and ICC India President Jawahar Vadivelu as Guests of Honour.

Commenting on the significance of the award, Hayleys PLC Chairman and Chief Executive, Mohan Pandithage said: “In our 140th year, it is heartening to see the Hayleys Group receive such resounding acclaim. We recognise that this award brings with it a responsibility to continuously create value across stakeholder groups.

“As an organisation that collectively accounts for 3.29% of Sri Lanka’s total exports, we are deeply rooted in Sri Lanka’s past, and ideally positioned to positively influence its future. In accepting our award and taking our place among ICCSL-CIMA Top 10 Most Admired Sri Lankan corporates, we as a group recommit ourselves to continuous sustainable innovation and value creation.”

The main objective of the event was to provide a platform for the recognition of Sri Lankan listed and non-listed companies that are able to deliver outstanding financial results while creating value in a sustainable and ethical manner for employees, customers, investors and the nation as a whole.

The awards were presented following a lengthy and rigorous evaluation based on globally accepted quantitative and qualitative criteria, overseen by an eminent and distinguished panel of judges including Awards Evaluation Committee Chairman Ravi Abeysuriya, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Sutheash Balasubramaniam, Sri Lankan President’s Counsel Harsha Cabral, Export Development Board Chairman Indira Malwatte, KPMG Middle East and South Asia Regional Chairman Reyaz Mihular, Prof. Kapila Perera and AIA Insurance Lanka Plc Director Deepal Sooriyaarachchi.

Operating across 5 regions with business interests spanning a total of 16 sectors, Hayleys has continuously ranked among Sri Lanka’s most successful and innovative companies, having been the first listed Sri Lankan corporate to surpass US$ 1billion in revenue.

The Group’s numerous subsidiaries have also consistently won awards resounding recognition in their respective industries while the Group also made recent headlines with its high-profile acquisition of Singer Sri Lanka PLC in a transaction which was the single largest on record in the history of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).

Catering to over 7.6 million customers world-wide, the Hayleys Group today stands as one of Sri Lanka’s most crucial economic centerpieces, providing direct employment to 32,000 Sri Lankans, in addition to providing indirect employment to over 20,000 people.

Community engagement and rural empowerment have also deeply embedded within the business model of the Hayleys Group. To date, the group has invested substantially towards corporate social responsibility, including its flagship CSR project, Sath Diyawara – a vital programme aimed at delivering safe, clean drinking water to communities in Sri Lanka’s dry zone that have been harshly impacted by the outbreak of Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain aetiology (CKDu).