Sysco LABS, the Global Innovation Center of Sysco, has been named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces at the Women-Friendly Workplace Awards 2026, marking its highest recognition at the awards to date.

The recognition represents an important milestone in Sysco LABS’ ongoing journey to build a workplace where women are supported not only to enter and participate in the technology industry, but to develop, progress and build meaningful long-term careers.

Held recently, the 2026 awards organized by Satynmag continued a six-year journey of recognizing and encouraging organizations to move beyond intention towards meaningful and measurable progress for women at work. This year’s awards placed particular emphasis on a defining question for women-friendly workplaces: beyond representation, how far are women able to go?

This win also reflects a progression in the company’s recognition journey at the Women Friendly Workplaces Awards. Following an “Honorable Mention” in the 2023 edition of the ceremony while winning a special award for “Best Women in STEM Project” in 2025, 2026 marks the first time Sysco LABS has been recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces.

Reflecting on the win and the company’s journey at these awards, Rehan Anthonis, Senior Director - People Operations, said: “This recognition is particularly meaningful because it reflects a journey we have been building over several years. For us, creating a women-friendly workplace goes beyond representation. It is about ensuring women have the opportunity, support and environment to grow their careers, step into leadership and make an impact. The progress we have made is encouraging, but our focus remains on continuing to learn, strengthen our practices and create an even more inclusive workplace for the future.”

Being named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces recognizes the progress made so far while reinforcing the company’s commitment to what comes next: continuing to build an ecosystem where women are empowered to participate, progress and lead.

Image Caption – At the far left and far right, respectively: Ruchini Weerawardena, Senior Manager – Talent Management and Development, and Tashiya Jayatilaka, Team Lead – People Operations accepting the award on behalf of Sysco LABS