The individuals who have succeeded in climbing the ladder of success through their own efforts, dedication, and determination are remembered in our history as the greatest personalities in the world. Rarely do we find such characters in our society, as they are as rare as pearls. The former Director of Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Sunil Dissanayake, is one of these remarkable personalities in our country. In an interview with the Daily News, he shared his 50 years of experience in the fields of Hotel Management and Human Resources Management.
Born in Baddegama, he studied at St. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia. Upon completing his Advanced Level studies, Sunil intended to set his course towards his destination. This is why he joined the Ceylon Hotel Corporation in 1971. Undoubtedly, the Ceylon Hotel Corporation provided fertile ground for his career. In 1973, the Ceylon Inter-Continental Hotel was opened, and the first female Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, attended the opening ceremony as the Chief Guest. Almost miraculously, Sunil received an internship to work as a waiter at the opening banquet. It indeed became a golden opportunity for his career. Later, Sunil assumed his duties as the Assistant Manager at the Hotel Seruwa in Polonnaruwa, currently known as ‘The Lake’.
The 5th Non-Aligned Summit Conference was held at the BMICH in mid-August 1976 with the participation of 96 Heads of States and Governments, such as Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India; HE Kenneth Kaunda, President of the Republic of Zambia; Field Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia; HE Fidel Castro, President of Cuba; Colonel Gaddafi, President of Libya; Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Archbishop Makarios, President of Cyprus, etc. The Hotel Corporation undertook the task of catering for the conference. Five-star hotels, including Thaprobane Hotel, Gall Face Hotel, Renuka Hotel, Hotel Sapphire, Ramada Hotel, and Mt. Lavinia Hotel, accommodated the State Leaders. However, due to an issue regarding the shortage of hospitality staff at the BMICH, the Hotel Corporation had to take action to resolve the matter. As the old saying goes, every dark cloud has a silver lining. Surprisingly, upon the request of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, three members, including Sunil Dissanayake, were entrusted with the task of training hotel school students within three months to serve the State Leaders at the Non-Aligned Summit. Sunil Dissanayake was in charge of the banquet hall. When asked about the training program, Sunil said, “We recruited 300 students and trained them in four categories: bakers, barmen, cooks, and room boys. It went on smoothly.”
To be honest, many miracles happened in his career life. One such miracle occurred when he was appointed as the General Manager of the Kingsbury Hotel. In 2007, Sunil joined Hayleys and was appointed to the Group Management Committee. The Hotel Corporation had to sell the Intercontinental Hotel chain to another hotelier. As mentioned by Sunil, the new hotelier changed the name from Intercontinental to Ceylon Continental Hotel. Later, the Hayleys Group acquired the Ceylon Continental Hotel and renamed it the Kingsbury Hotel. Even though the Hayleys Group acquired the hotel, hotel management was not within their area of expertise. Sunil said, “Hayleys wanted someone experienced in the hotel management field. Hence, they appointed me as the General Manager of the Kingsbury.”
It is important to mention that Sunil was the Director General Manager of the Kingsbury Hotel during his tenure. Furthermore, he succeeded in leading the hotel to win many international awards, such as the World Luxury Hotels award for the Best Luxury City Hotel in the Indian Ocean Continent in 2013. Sunil, proving his expertise and experience, held several senior management positions in large private sector entities in Sri Lanka and abroad in the fields of Human Resources Management and Hotel Management. Notable among these positions were roles at Jetwing Hotels, Ceylon Hotels Corporation, Ceylon Hotel School (SLITHM), John Keels Holdings, Garadari Meridien Hotel, Ramada Hotel Dubai, Citibank Gulf (Based in Dubai), Carson Cumberbatch plc, SriLankan Airlines Ltd, and HSBC Global Resourcing. Significantly, he also held honorary and advisory positions in both Human Resources and the Hotel industry.
As one of the former Members of the Hotel Classification Committee of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sunil significantly contributed to the improvement of quality and standards in Sri Lanka’s hotel management field. Additionally, he rendered commendable service as a member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Steering Committee for HR and Education. He served as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management and held the position of Director at the Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau.
Challenges:
Sunil established himself as an indelible icon in the hotel management field by successfully overcoming challenges and navigating challenging situations. He never shied away from challenges and faced all problems in life with determination. Reflecting on his past experiences, Sunil recalled, “I went to Dubai and worked as an HR manager at Citibank during the Gulf War period when people began to withdraw money from banks due to the uncertain situation in the country. But we took necessary measures to stabilize the economy.”
Not only that, even when his own younger brother was tragically assassinated by the JVP in 1989, he remained unshaken, prioritizing his duty above all else. External forces could not deter his determination in any situation. Sunil recounted, “I was severely injured in the Central Bank bomb blast in 1996. Nevertheless, I continued working as the HR Manager. Despite the devastating blow of my wife’s sudden demise, I was able to fulfil my duties meticulously and without any delays. I left no room for complaints.” He also vividly remembered another bomb blast that occurred at the BMICH. “We took immediate action to evacuate all people from the area and ensure the safety of both property and individuals, preventing the suicide bombers from entering the BMICH premises.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many clusters emerged around the country, Sunil and his team took timely precautions to prevent the spread of the virus among their staff. Sunil stated, “This is how I overcame all challenges, by taking the right steps at the right time.” His life story serves as a source of inspiration from which today’s young generation can learn many valuable lessons.
Isuru Thambawita
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