FAREWELL PARTY 3RD DECEMER 2003
Chairman Sir, the Members of the Group Executive Directorate, the Group Management Committee
My dearest friends both the ladies and gentlemen and my most beloved staff. I wish you all a very good evening.
I consider this occasion a great honour and a great privilege bestowed on me by all of you, for which I have no words to express, my deepest appreciation and thanks I shall never be able to reciprocate, the sincerity, the love and regard that all of you have showered on me today, by coming here and making your presence felt This has touched my heart indeed.
I do not even know how to express my heartfelt thanks for the gift my beloved staff had arranged to deliver to my residence yesterday. A gift of a lifetime, a most beautiful and valuable gift, an excellent rather a most exquisite piece of art. It is also a very very suggestive gift It is a Grandfather Clock.
The love affection and the sentiments, that have gone into it in taking the utmost concern and care to have it presented to me has made this gift indeed PRICELESS.
Somewhere in August 1979, I was interviewed by a person no less than Mr. D.S. Jayasundera, the then chairman and Mr. S. Krishnananthan, former Group Financial Director, they selected me from among 35 candidates who opted for the post. I remember Mr. Jayasundera saying at the second interview Mr. Nazim, now we have selected you, and if I tell you to do something in your profession, you will do exactly as I tell you you will not like to displease me but, that is useless, because I will not be able to pick your brains, on your profession. I leave you with full freedom and liberty to do what you think is right for the company Should you need any assistance you should never hesitate to contact me.
I still remember those very wise words.
The trust and confidence and the relationship that we had - was not known to others. Let me relate to you an incident, the extent of trust and confidence placed on me by him.
Mr. Jayasundera, was in the Board of Directors of a famous Airline (That Airline is no more It is under a different name now, completely re-structured)
One day he called me to his office and said : This is strictly confidential, no one else should know about this - I will send you some files I want you to go through them with a fine tooth comb and just give me 10 points to talk on. This is a case of Insurance Fraud at this Airline. I will give you just 4 days (It was a Friday afternoon that he sent the files fully sealed in a very large envelope) Tuesday morning, I will have your report Because, I have a Board meeting in the evening.
I took it home and what I saw I could not believe it. There was a multi-million Dollar racket Insurance Premium Fraud that was taking place in the said Airline Everyone from the top man downwards were involved, except Our Mr. Jayasundera, of course.
As per his requirement, I prepared the 10 points, I wrote them in my own hand-writing and I was ready with it awaiting his call. That day, I did not even go out for lunch.
He telephoned me
around
The following morning
he asked me to come to his office and said:
Nazim, that was an excellent piece of work.
I used the very same 10 points you gave me.
It was a hard-hitting presentation based on your 10 points.
At the end of the speech, there was a pin-drop silence I already had
my letter of resignation prepared and before they could recover from shock, I
tendered my letter of resignation from the Board of the said Airline, and I
walked out.
He also said, I will have the files collected later.
That was the trust and confidence he had placed in me for which I
feel extremely proud.
In 1993, before he
left for
Alas! What an
unfortunate man I am, He never returned. He
passed away in
When he passed away, many things inside me too died with him. I really miss this great man
I would like all of you to join me in a moment of silence in Honour of our Late Dr. Lal Jayasundera.
After his demise the burden of Chairmanship was suddenly thrust on our Present Chairman, Mr. Sunil Mendis who with lot of courage and support from his colleagues, the executive directorate, the Group Management Committee together with the rest of the support of all the other subsidiaries and associates and the large majority of staff, was able to sustain the momentum and growth of the Group and we too grew with it. we are what we are here today. Still the same powerful, leading blue chip institution.
Finally, a word of encouragement to my staff It is my earnest desire, that you give your utmost support and help to Mr. Mervyn de Silva, your immediate director as well as your new manageress, Mrs. Ursula Wijesuriya, who too had been a student of mine some 17 years ago. I have trained you in all fields of insurance and you can sit in my chair if you had only acquired the required qualifications. You all know that I tolerate everything except insubordination. I want all of you to maintain that status quo and see that this division, runs very smoothly, without any problem. There is always a gap between a new manager and the old staff. You the experienced staff, should try to narrow this gap - building up the trust and confidence with the new manageress and she too would, I am sure, try to understand you and get closer to you and help you all too to build up this confidence and trust in her.
What we are concerned here is the betterment, progress and upliftment of the group. It is not easy to function for over 24 years in one place, without being subject to personal insults and attacks. but that did not deter me from my professionalism. I put them all aside, My professionalism superseded my personal injuries and my concern was for the benefit of the entire group. I want you all to do the same.
Let me wind up with a great thought from a great person HE SAID:
HONOUR AND SHAME UNDER NO CONDITIONS RISE;
ACT WELL YOUR PART THERE ALL THE HONOUR LIES.
Think, Reflect and ponder
Thank you