JKCS unveils new expansion plans in wake of HRM award

Colombo, February 29, 2008
JKCS, a winner at the recently concluded HRM Awards 2007, has unveiled its latest HR plans that are geared to launch the company into its next phase of global expansion. A specialist in the aviation sphere, the company works with renowned full-service and low cost airlines in Europe, Middle East and Asia. This recent award is testimony to the investment and effort JKCS has dedicated to nurturing its human capital.

		John Keells Computer Services (JKCS) has set its sights firmly on becoming a dominant IT services provider to the aviation industry. In order to realize such an ambitious vision the company is paying heavy attention to developing a skilled and well-rounded team of professionals. “We have a team of brilliant young minds here at JKCS”, says CEO Dhananjaya Chandrasekera. “All our airline customers have repeatedly commended on, not only their technical excellence, but also on their ability to work in different countries and cultures and deliver real business value.”
Picture shows JKCS team at the HRM awards. L-R: Samantha Siriwardena – Head of Solutions JKCS, Sujeeva Cooray – Head of HR IT Sector, Niresh Samaranayake – Chief Quality Officer, Manjula Tissera – HR Co-ordinator, Shaneeka Navaratne – Assistant Manager HR, Ramesh Michael – Senior Manager JKCS, Hasagee Abeysinghe – HR executive, Dhananjaya Chandrasekera – CEO JKCS, Apsara Dilhani – Accountant, Rizvi Latiff – Chief Technology Officer.

“Our HR team and management have continued to work hard to meet the demanding expectations of this group of global business savvy professionals”, he continued. “We are keenly aware that we are operating a knowledge business. So our people are our greatest asset. Now that we have plans to be the number one in this industry and have developed a clear road-map on how to get there, we are even more dedicated to attracting and nurturing the right people. Awards like this reassure us that our HR practices are gearing up to be world class”.

Speaking on the expansion plans Mr. Chandrasekera said, “We have come to realize that recruiting qualified personnel is no longer sufficient. Hence, we have gone a level further and created a scholarship program for IT BSc (Hons). This is in conjunction with a leading UK university. The program has been named SRI LANKA IT FORCES. The chosen candidates can consider this program as their platform for an exciting international career and continuous growth at JKCS after obtaining their degrees.” The SRI LANKA IT FORCES had a very successful initial run and it’s now making arrangements for its second intake.

The staff numbers at JKCS centres in Sri Lanka, UAE and Norway will double in size in the coming year and satellite teams will be setup in UK in mid 2008. These teams will extend the company’s reach in UK, Ireland and Continental Europe.

In addition to the many training and skill development programs at JKCS, staff now has access to a spate of recreational activities that range from golf to CSR. Many new facilities will be extended to the international centres in the near future. The HRM award is a triumph in many ways as it testifies not only to the company’s sophisticated HR practices but also attests to the quality of the work environment that nurtures the expert IT professional of tomorrow.