PRESS RELEASE

Chartered Institute of Marketing appoints new head for Sri Lanka and Maldives

• CIM invests in Sri Lanka and the Maldives with new appointment and enhanced volunteer membership network

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the world’s leading professional body for marketing, has appointed Onalie Dissanayake to head up CIM in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Onalie will lead a newly established office in Colombo supporting Sri Lanka’s more than 2,000 members and 1,500 affiliate studying members. An experienced senior figure in Sri Lanka’s education system, Onalie has also held several roles in the marketing and advertising industry. She will now take up the role of country head having previously led CIM’s marketing education programme in Sri Lanka.

CIM is also launching a new volunteers network that will allow its members to get more involved in the work of the Institute, including supporting engagement with businesses, events and marketing.

The network is headed up by three experienced marketers from across sectors such as finance, telecommunications and security. Shiraz Latiff, Dhammika N Guruge and Asitha Pinnaduwa, who are all senior business figures, will support Onalie lending over 50 years of marketing experience.

The network will provide an enhanced level of service and support to both members and CIM’s network of Accredited Study Centres in the region. A schedule of capability-driven events and training for marketers at all stages of their career will be launched, while businesses will be able to partner with CIM to develop marketing capability of their teams and key personnel.

CIM has been operating in Sri Lanka for more than 25 years, specialising in supporting people to achieve internationally recognised professional marketing qualifications.

Chris Daly, CIM Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted that Onalie will be taking over as the CIM Country Head for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Her capability, combined with our vision for the region, will help drive key benefits for all parties.

“Onalie has excelled in her role expanding our marketing education programmes in the country. With her new team and CIM’s support, I am sure she will have great success leading our efforts to support Sri Lanka’s thriving marketing community.”

Onalie Dissanayake, the new CIM Country Head for Sri Lanka and the Maldives said: “It is a real honour to be appointed CIM’s country head for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. A career in marketing represents a huge opportunity for young people and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of supporting the education of the next generation of marketers.

“My first announcement in the role is to launch our new volunteer network in Sri Lanka. We hope this will allow us to bring together leading marketers from across the country to promote the importance of our profession.” 

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Notes to editors:

For media enquiries:

For further information please contact the Chartered Institute of Marketing press office at Good Relations on CIMTeam@goodrelations.co.uk

For CIM enquiries:

James Delves
CIM Head of PR and External Engagement
james.delves@cim.co.uk

About CIM

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the world’s leading professional body for marketing, with over 30,000 members worldwide, of which there are over 3,000 Chartered Marketers. CIM’s mission is to create a marketing advantage for the benefit of professionals, business and society with a focus on export, data and skills. CIM believes marketing is the critical factor in driving long term organisational performance.

CIM provides members and organisations with five key benefits: 

• Partnership – CIM is a professional and organisational partner to support performance and career development
• Education – CIM allows individuals and businesses to continuously upskill
• Information – CIM keeps members up to date with the latest marketing thinking, and keeps organisations at the forefront of practices
• Connection – CIM provides access to services, expertise and peers
• Recognition – CIM is the global benchmark of professional competence

For more than 100 years, CIM has supported, represented and developed marketers, teams, leaders and the profession as a whole. There are 130 CIM study centres in 36 countries and exam centres in 132 countries worldwide. In the last year, over 7,500 people registered at over 230 UK CIM events. Find out more about CIM by visiting www.cim.co.uk

Click on the link below to see what the Daily FT, a leading Sri Lankan business and financial newspaper had to say on Onalie's new role as new CIM head for Sri Lanka and Maldives: http://www.ft.lk/marketing/Chartered-Institute-of-Marketing-appoints-new-head-for-Sri-Lanka-and-Maldives/54-683939