IPM National HR Conference 2017 to Explore Digitalization, Disruption, Diversity and Design

IPM Sri Lanka – the Nation's leader in Human Resources Management – announced that it's much awaited event “The IPM National Human Resources Conference 2017” will be held on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st June at the BMICH in Colombo.

IPM's NHRC is the largest HR conference in South Asia and is a much looked forward to event by the HR fraternity to hear, from experts, about the innovative, people-centric concepts, tools and practices that are revolutionizing the HR landscape while engaging in discussion, exchanging thought leading ideas and insights related to how people work in the rapidly evolving workplace of tomorrow.


The theme of the this year’s conference is “Emerging HR Leaders: High Tech & High Touch”.


The conference is expected to attract around 1,000 local and foreign participants.

“The IPM NHRC 2017 will bring together many experts in the fields of HR and technology to share their insights on how digitalization is fueling disruption in the HR landscape, driving deep inroads into HR and society at large changing the way we that we have known it, and driving the need for change in the way we manage the people in the workplace and the workplace itself” said Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri-President, IPM Sri Lanka.

The keynote address of the Conference will be delivered by Dr. Ravi Fernando on the topic “Emerging HR Leaders & their role in Driving Strategy”.


A lineup of eminent speakers including Dr. Saman Vimalaratne (HR Analystics to Optimize ROI), Dr. Raj Raghavan (Managing Innovative & Disruptive Talent in High Tech Companies), Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri (Touch Savvy HR Leaders – Caring, Daring and Sharing), Ms. Mara Tolia (Working Out Loud and Future of Work) and Ms. Esther Makintosh (Developing a New Generation of Youth Employees for Growth Sector of the Sri Lankan Economy) will share their insights during the multiple technical sessions of the Conference.


The scheduled Q&As after each session will provide ample opportunity for the audience to clarify any doubts and/or pose their own questions for clarification and answers by the speakers.

The Panel Discussion on the timely topic of “Transformational Leadership” will be moderated by Ajith Bopitiya.


The panelists include Carl Cruz–Chairman, Unilever Sri Lanka, Jagath Pathirana-Director & CEO, Expolanka Holdings PLC, Ms. Bindu Vinodhan-Founder:


The Institute of Leadership Learning and Transformation, Ms. Smitha Murthy–Leadership & Organization Development Consultant from Banglore, India and Ms. Shehara Jayawardana-Group Joint Managing Director, McLarens Group.

“Furthermore, this being the largest gathering of senior HR practitioners, consultants, academics as well as non-HR related personnel from Sri Lanka and the South Asia region, the IPM NHRC 2017 will undoubtedly be a conference bringing significant value to each and every participant” added Prof. Dharmasiri.

“The uniqueness and the significance of the conference that IPM consistently strives each year to attribute to this flagship event is widely acclaimed and substantiated by the ever-increasing number of attendees at the conference each year” said Ken Vijayakumar - Honorary Secretary, IPM Sri Lanka Executive Council and Chairman, NHRC 2017.

“Meeting the emerging challenges in the HR landscape is gaining constant and profound focus.


The role that Human Resource Management plays to deliver the competitive advantage has to be redefined to be breast of the challenges in global perspective.


The pace at which high tech, automation and the integration of solutions based on IT keeps evolving, have opened exciting pathways for tech savvy Human capital with the right blend of HR business acumen” added Vijayakumar.

In addition to the featured events such as the National HR Excellence Awards, The Great HR Debate and the HR Service Providers’ Exhibition, The IPM NHRC 2017 Conference will feature a unique and new event “IPM Great HR Practices” which is yet another first by IPM Sri Lanka giving its flagship event an international flavor.


As the country’s apex body relating to the HR profession, IPM Sri Lanka strives to promote best practices in the sphere of HR and Learning & Development, and the proposed new initiative “IPM Great HR Practices” aims at sharing proven HR practices with the Sri Lankan business community with a view to adding value to Sri Lankan organizations.


Apart from recognizing novel and value-adding HR practices that have evolved from among Sri Lankan organizations, the proposed forum is also expected to fill the lacuna that prevails in the sphere of literature on best HR practices in the country.


The forum also enables organizations to showcase their best practices to the country’s business community and be duly rewarded for such worthy efforts.


Accordingly, four organizations that have implemented outstanding HR practices will be shortlisted through a rigorous evaluation process and invited to make presentations during the first day of the NHRC 2017 and each will be followed by a Q &A session.

IPM Sri Lanka keeps pace with the new trends and concepts in HR by engaging continuously with the business community to share experiences, thoughts and insights in order to enrich and enhance the HR profession.

It actively encourages and promotes members’ participation at international conferences and forums to provide exposure, build networks and conduct research into areas of interest to the HR profession in Sri Lanka.

IPM was founded in 1959 and was subsequently incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1976. IPM is affiliated to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Human Resources Management and also to the World Federation of People Management Association.


IPM, being a professional institute is also a constituent member of the Organization of Professional Associations [OPA] Sri Lanka.


Currently IPM comprises of over 900 Professional Members who serve in both public and private organizations. 

Last modified on Saturday, 13 May 2017 13:56