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| Sunday, 17 August 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Personality plus Priyal Perera : Mastering the art of managing people by Pelham Juriansz
Family Originally from Kandy, his father, Peter Perera was a planter while his mother was a housewife. He has two brothers, one an engineer and the other a businessman. Married to Nandika, a housewife, he has a 13-year old daughter, Vindika, who is studying at Musaeus College. A boxer in college, Perera is "boxing on" at Baurs, as the Human Resource Development (HRD) Manager. "Human beings are my business," he said. "I have been interested in them ever since I was a young boy. Since my uncle, the late Dr N.M. Perera, was a politician, as a youngster I wanted to emulate him and be involved in the business of people and the art of management, which is basically what Human Resource Development is all about". Education Having played cricket at school, he has acquired the skill of playing as a team member, but surprisingly for a Royalist, he does not have any interest in rugby. "I hate rugby and I do not like to go for rugby matches". However, his pet sport was boxing - he boxed at the Stubbs Shield. He was a College Steward as well. He is a member of the Old Boys' Association and a member of the Class of '74". Perera's original intention was to be an Aeronautical Engineer, but that did not work out. Having obtained a letter of recommendation from his uncle (the late Dr N.M. Perera), who was then Minister of Finance, he was keen on joining the Hawker Siddley Institute School of Engineering in London. "My family background gives me the courage to work with people, although I have not been in politics. Dr N.M.Perera, my father's brother, influenced me to a certain extent." Career "After my Advanced Levels, I did not want to continue with my higher studies. I joined DIMO as a Management Trainee in the Personnel Department and after successfully completing four years when Anil Wijesinghe was the Administrative Manager, I was promoted as DIMO's Personnel Manager. In 1984 I got through my diploma and worked under Dr Banagarege, at Unilevers, where he was the first Sri Lankan Personnel Manager. "I then joined Maharajah Investments Ltd (MIL) as a Personnel and Administrative Manager, being one of the youngest Senior Managers in this field (at 25 years). After 10 years of service at MIL, I joined Connaissance de Ceylan Ltd. as Group Personnel Manager. I was responsible for managing the personnel department of two star hotels under their wing. "Subsequently, I joined the leading Duty Free operator in Sri Lanka as Human Resource Manager." Professional life Perera is a Diploma holder in Personnel Management and a Corporate Member of the Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka. Present "At present I am attached to Baurs as Human Resource Development Manager. I have completed 22 years in this field of Human Resource and managing people is my business. At present I am actively engaged in a few of the Personnel Management Institute's professional committees as an Assistant Treasurer and the Deputy Chairman for its international Affairs and a Life Member of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka. Social life He is President of the Sunday Times Business Club. Ambition "My ambition is to be a top Human Resource personality and retire young when I am at my peak. I have studied the various aspects of people and I am able to analyse a person very well and within a few minutes I can sum up a person through body language and also the way a person speaks or does not speak. When interviewing, this helps a lot. "I want to help young people to come up in life. Managing people is very important. As a Manager, I identify people's training needs and get professionals to train them. I do the newsletter and a very structured management programme. We train them to become executives." Future "I am very much a Sri Lankan and do not like to travel abroad," Perera said. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Many of us are in the business of dealing with people, but few are
adept at it. Forty three-year old Priyal Perera, a product of Royal
College, Colombo, seems to have mastered the art of managing people.
