Executives of Hayleys Group, the leading conglomerate in Sri Lanka, have embarked on a mission to harness the power of effective public speaking for personal and professional advancement with the formation of the Group’s own Toastmasters Club.
The new club, currently consisting of 78 ‘speech crafters’ was formally installed as a member club of Toastmasters International (TI) recently, becoming part of the world’s leading communication and leadership-skill building organization.
Hayleys Group Chairman Mohan Pandithage, the Patron of the new club officiated as Chief Guest at the installation ceremony, which was attended by senior Toastmasters from Toastmasters District 82 and representatives of the Toastmasters Club of SriLankan Airlines, who provided mentorship for its formation.
In his address at the event, Nandalal Perera, the founder President of the Hayleys Toastmasters Club described its launch as “another step in re-inventing and re-discovering the potential of our venerable institution.”
The theme for the inaugural year of the new club is ‘Your Speech Matters,’ a theme that encapsulates the multiple paradigms in which effective articulation of ideas and views could be influential and impactful.
A non-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs, Toastmasters International currently has more than 260,000 members in over 12,500 clubs in 113 countries. Since its founding in October 1924, the organization has helped more than 4 million men and women give presentations with poise and confidence.
