The Association of HR Professionals Sri Lanka (AHRP) continues to invest in the future of the HR profession through Elevate U, its flagship capability-building platform designed to accelerate the growth of early-career HR professionals through high-impact speed mentoring sessions with senior industry leaders.
Positioned as a continuous learning journey rather than a one-off workshop series, Elevate U reflects AHRP’s commitment to developing HR practitioners who are not only technically sound but also purpose-driven, commercially astute, and ready to influence organisations at a strategic level. The programme’s distinctive speed-mentoring format creates an intimate space where participants gain actionable insights and practical takeaways directly from those shaping Sri Lanka’s corporate landscape.
Since its inception, Elevate U has consistently featured some of the country’s most respected HR and business leaders. Previous years featured impactful sessions from Dr. Roland Smith, Former Board Director and Chief Learning Officer of Brandix Apparel Limited, who led ‘Building High-Performing Teams’, and Aruni Abeysekera, Former Head of Talent, Culture and Inclusion at Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC, who examined ‘How DEI Drives a High-Performing Culture’. The series also featured Suresh Muttiah, Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Aitken Spence PLC, exploring ‘Organisation Transformation – The HR Perspective’, and Rehan Anthonis, Senior Director – People Operations at Sysco LABS Sri Lanka, on ‘Designing Organisational Culture: How to Make It Work’.
The current financial year launched in November with Isuru Gunasekara, Executive Vice President of the John Keells Group and Chief People Officer, delivering a powerful session on ‘From Crisis to Success: Transforming Business through People and Purpose’, exploring how organisations can navigate disruption by placing people at the centre of strategy and value creation.
The second session takes place on 26 February 2026, led by Oshana Dias, Senior Vice President of AHRP. Her session, ‘From Promise to Practice: The HR Professional’s Guide to Authentic Employer Branding’, will focus on translating organisational values into lived employee experiences and positioning HR as the steward of credible, purpose-led brands.
With two additional sessions planned for later in the year, AHRP’s Elevate U programme continues to expand its reach and impact across Sri Lanka’s HR community.
What sets Elevate U apart is its speed-mentoring format, a dynamic, interactive experience that goes beyond traditional learning. Speed mentoring is a focused engagement where senior leaders share real experiences that have shaped their leadership journeys. Rather than generic advice, the emphasis is on pivotal decisions, challenges, and lessons learned—helping emerging professionals build judgment, resilience, and clarity of purpose through lived experience
Participants rotate in small groups to engage directly with senior leaders in focused, candid conversations about career journeys, leadership dilemmas, transformation initiatives, and real workplace challenges. This ensures every attendee leaves with personalised insights, practical takeaways, and actionable strategies drawn from the lived experiences of successful HR and business professionals.
Reflecting the programme’s impact, Asha Sasanki, Manager at Brandix and a participant at Elevate U, shared,
“I found the program to be a meaningful platform to broaden my perspective and learn through cross-company experiences. The discussions were engaging, thought-provoking, and highly relevant to the challenges we face as HR leaders today. Overall, it was a truly enriching session that contributed greatly to my professional growth and left me with valuable insights to take back to my organisation.”
Through Elevate U, AHRP continues to cultivate a new generation of HR professionals who are confident decision-makers, ethical leaders, and strategic partners to business. As the programme expands across the year, it stands as a central pillar in AHRP’s broader capability-building agenda, reinforcing the organisation’s role as the leading professional body shaping the future of HR in Sri Lanka.
