John Keells Consumer Foods Sector Strengthens Leadership Pipeline Through Aspire Executive Development Programme

John Keells Consumer Foods Sector has reinforced its commitment to building future ready leadership with the successful graduation of 36 participants from the “Aspire” Executive Development Programme 2025, a sector wide Talent Development initiative conducted in collaboration with the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. 

The graduation marks a significant milestone in the sector’s ongoing people development journey, reflecting its focus on strengthening leadership capabilities, business acumen, strategic thinking and cross functional collaboration among emerging executives. Designed to align individual growth with evolving business priorities, the programme combined academic learning, interactive engagement and action driven projects which enabled participants to apply leadership concepts to real business contexts.

Operating under John Keells Holdings PLC, the John Keells Consumer Foods Sector comprises leading food and beverage brands such as Elephant House and Keells Krest with a strong legacy in Sri Lanka. Through initiatives such as “Aspire”, the sector continues to invest in structured learning and capability building as key enablers of sustainable business growth and long-term organizational resilience.

Daminda Gamlath, President, John Keells Consumer Foods Sector, said, “The Aspire Executive Development Programme reflects our belief that future growth must be supported by strong,agile and purpose driven leaders. We are proud to celebrate the graduation of these 36participants, who have demonstrated commitment, curiosity and the ability to think beyondtheir functional roles. Their development is an investment not only in their individual careers, but also in the continued progress of our businesses.”

Imani Perera, Head of Human Resources, John Keells Consumer Foods Sector, said, “Aspire” was designed to unlock both individual and collective potential by giving our executives thetools, exposure and confidence to lead with greater impact. The successful completion of this programme is a testament to our continued focus on nurturing talent from within and preparing our people for future leadership roles with greater responsibilities.”

The sector will continue to advance its people development agenda through structuredlearning, leadership development and capability building initiatives that support business growth and prepare employees for Future strategic roles.