Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, has been awarded the HR Business Leader of the Year 2022 at the CEO Awards Night. This recognition comes as a result of his tireless dedication to revolutionizing HR education and professional development in Sri Lanka, as well as his contribution to consolidating and building a reliable brand for the Human Resources / People Management professional education in the country.
With over 30 years of management experience, Ken has served the CIPM for 23 years, and passionately contributed for 7 years in the executive council, holding many senior office-bearers positions, and voluntarily managing the CIPM without any remuneration. The Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (IPM) was founded in 1959 by a small group of professionals with the objective of developing and promoting the profession of personnel management. The Institute was subsequently incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1976, and its name was amended by Act No. 31 of 2018 as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). CIPM SL is a professional body and is affiliated to the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management and World Federation of People Management Associations. Currently, CIPM has over 1500 members and 7000 students.
Ken has had a distinguished career, and one of his most significant accomplishments was being appointed as the President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). Ken achieved this milestone while holding senior management positions in the corporate sector.
During his tenure at CIPM, Ken has introduced several innovative programs and initiatives that have enhanced the organization’s reputation as a leader in human resources management. One of the notable initiatives he introduced was the Certificate Course in Reward Management, which is designed to equip HR professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to manage employee compensation effectively. This program has been a great success and has helped to raise the standards of reward management in Sri Lanka.
Another initiative that Ken introduced was a partnership with the Dutch-based Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), which offers online courses and study programs related to modern people management. This partnership has enabled CIPM to provide its members with access to cutting-edge HR technology and practices, helping them to stay ahead of the curve.
In addition to these initiatives, Ken has been a strong advocate for sustainability and employee wellness at CIPM. He introduced a program called Urban Gardening, which encourages staff to grow their vegetables and herbs, promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing the organization’s carbon footprint.
Ken has also been instrumental in forging partnerships between CIPM and other universities and professional institutes. These partnerships have enabled CIPM to expand its reach and offer more opportunities for professional development and growth to its members. Overall, Ken’s leadership and vision have been a significant contributor to CIPM’s success and continued growth as an organization.
Ken has also launched empirical research into areas such as Female migrant domestic workers: challenges and prospects in Sri Lankan perspective and Attracting Sri Lankan youth to technical and vocational education and the way forward. As the President of the institute, he spearheaded the institute during the most crucial period of the country’s economic crisis, where people’s priority was not on secondary education. He consolidated and built a reliable brand for the Human Resources / People Management professional education in the country, focusing on deliverables and driving the 3-year strategic plan with passion and commitment, meeting the strategic plan deliverables on the exact timelines.
Being a good leader is crucial, and Ken has taken it upon himself to motivate his workforce by being ethical and transparent in his approach. He discusses operational challenges openly and always looks for solutions in a participatory approach rather than using only one-way communication. He has introduced reward and recognition programs to motivate employees and empower them with appropriate resources. Ken believes that passion is the building block of any performance-oriented work culture and is supported by 3 individual traits such as commitment, courage, and curiosity (3C success factors and his own winning formula) that he inculcates among his workforce to motivate them. He has given the freedom for them to challenge the process, where it encourages innovation and new initiatives.
Being the recipient of this award will undoubtedly influence others, and Ken intends to use this recognition to set benchmarks for others to achieve high standards in their careers. In his opinion, people should work genuinely hard for the purpose they have been hired or selected for. When they work with passion, awards will naturally come their way. Conversely, if they only work expecting awards, their focus will be lost, and they will work or perform just for the sake of the award, but not for real passion for excellence.
In conclusion, Ken’s recognition is well-deserved, and his contributions to the field of human resources management in Sri Lanka will undoubtedly continue to have a positive impact for years to come.