Forbes – April 16, 2023 Like flare jeans and flip phones, travel fads often boomerang back, but never in exactly the same way as before. All-inclusive resorts are currently enjoying an enormous surge in popularity–minus the mediocre buffets, bottom-shelf piña coladas and cheesy entertainment from decades past. This new wave of all-inclusives is all about luxury, offering a raft of enticements from gourmet à la carte dining to personal butler service to high-end experiences unique to their locales. Notably, many of these properties are being launched by luxury hospitality brands entering the all-inclusive arena for the first time. Chalk it…
Author: LMD International
One of the reasons I’m not really a fan of big, organised tours is that you never get the chance to go free range in a destination
Priyan Fernando Art of the possible With more than four decades of experience in the corporate world, Priyan Fernando has led multinational organisations in finance, travel and global business services. In addition to serving as a Senior Advisor to the Boston Consulting Group in New York, he is the Chairman of Brandix Lanka – a position he’s held since 2014. Fernando has been credited with leading many transformations at American Express and as an advisor at the Boston Consulting Group, as well as playing a pivotal role in introducing shared financial services to India in the 1990s. For the latter,…
VANUSHI WALTERS Upholding democracy Q: Whose career inspires you – and why? A: In early April, we bid farewell to Jacinda Ardern – our former prime minister – as she stepped down from parliament. It’s been an extraordinary privilege to be part of her caucus and see up close how to lead with not only kindness but also decisiveness. She always put people first and has been a significant source of inspiration in my leadership journey. Q: What are the main challenges you’ve faced in your career as a politician to date? A: The biggest challenge is often spending a…
Russel Arnold Life’s winding road Q: How would you describe your connection with Sri Lanka? A: I am a proud Sri Lankan… I cherish the rich history and cultures of Sri Lanka, and consider myself lucky to born in such a beautiful island. I’m identified as a Sri Lankan even though I reside in Australia. Q: In your capacity as an international commentator, where do you see ‘brand Sri Lanka cricket’ heading in the next 12-24 months? A: In 12-24 months’ time, I think brand Sri Lanka cricket will be better because of the skill and talent that we possess,…
Prof. Suranjith Seneviratne Always a Sri Lankan Q: You are a frequent visitor to Sri Lanka… What entices you to visit so often? A: For me, beautiful Sri Lanka is ‘home.’ Any person would be drawn back to their roots and when it comes to a paradise nation like ours, the number of reasons for visiting frequently could be in the hundreds. A central reason in my case is that I want to give back to the wonderful country that trained, nurtured and developed me, enabling me to move on to the world stage. My medical speciality is at the…
NISHAN SILVA World of opportunities Q: Could you describe your connection with Sri Lanka? A: I was born in Sri Lanka. It is my home and always will be. I believe there is no place as beautiful as Sri Lanka! Q: What advice would you offer Sri Lankans who are planning to relocate to the UAE for work? A: TheUAE is one of the best countries on Earth to live in and work – especially Dubai. Approximately 80 percent of the population are expatriates. As such, Dubai is a melting pot of cultures with over 200 nationalities represented. Its position…
We need to cut our coat according to the cloth – this is the biggest challenge we face
Jithran Ekanayake Exploring new vistas Q: What led you to pursue a career in space synthetic biology? A: My primary academic interests while growing up were healthcare and education. While I was interested in space, I didn’t realise I could realistically engage in the field during my lifetime – until I moved to the US and was directly exposed to career pathways within the country’s space programme. During my third year at college, I worked hard to find a field of study that was sufficiently interdisciplinary to reconcile healthcare, education and space exploration. I came across a seminal paper about…
Dr. Chandi Jayawardena Opportunity knocks Q: What lessons have you learned from your diverse experience in different countries? A: I’ve learnt that each time I land in a country to work or complete an assignment, I should invest time to understand the ABCs of the community I’ll be serving or leading. My concept includes a quick analysis of attitudes and aspirations, beliefs and behaviour, and culture and customs. Thereafter, I focus on applying ‘PA & PR’ – my concept of a quick personality analysis for better public relations. Q: And what is the stiffest challenge you have faced in your…