Synergy joins Hemas to create novel learning experience

Synergy School of Marketing recently concluded yet another successful session of Insight Out, with the program adopting a scaled down version of Donald Trump's 'The Apprentice'. Three subsidiaries of the Hemas group - Hemas Pharmaceuticals, Hospitals and Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka joined hands with Synergy in creating this novel learning experience. According to Michael Ranasinghe and Mohomad Adamally, Directors of Synergy, "The aim of the program is to help create marketing professionals whose knowledge and experience translates into a competitive advantage for all employers, which at the end of the day is what matters most when it comes to professional education".

The program itself has proven to be a popular one amongst the students with many sending in their applications to sign up. This year too, after receiving an overwhelming amount of applications, three groups of students, consisting seven in each group, were selected after much deliberation.

Each group was then assigned their respective tasks by the heads of the three subsidiaries - Murtaza Eusufally (Chairman, Hemas Hospitals), Romero Linden (Director Sales, Hemas Pharmaceuticals) and Harith Perera (Managing Director, Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka). Each team constituted students from the three levels of CIM, from varied industries and levels of experience. This brought in the required diversity and also brought on board innovative and fresh thinking when the teams went about formulating solutions to the projects assigned, which included the challenging elements of research, strategy and operations. "I was surprised at the quality and depth of the research output of these young marketing students. We were stimulated with the thoughts shared by the students, the judges and the audience and all the results and findings of these research projects will be seriously considered by the management into our future plans for the respective brands," commented Murtaza Eusufally, Chairman, Hemas Hospitals.

The program reached its climax recently at Trans Asia when the three teams made their final presentations to the panel of judges. Speaking at the event, Eardley Perera, Founder and Past President of CIM Sri Lanka branch and Head of the panel of Judges for the evening stated, "It was a truly fulfilling experience for us to have had the opportunity to experience the commitment and enthusiasm of all the students who took part in the program. They were very infectious as well as apparent and the quality and depth of knowledge and perspective of the students within their limited managerial exposure were indicative of their capability and capacity.

In today's context, encouraging students to do assignments, research, planning, in a truly practical experiential environment, helps early learning of practical management.

My thanks to both the Synergy School of Marketing and Hemas Holdings for displaying their interest in developing managerial skills in the country." Shaheen Cader, Director, AC Nielson and Dayan Gunasekara, Director, Mel Sacks and Senior Lecturer of Synergy completed the panel of judges for the event.

Team Sirex who took on the project of Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka emerged as winners while Solutions Inc. who took on the project of Hemas Hospitals was adjudged as runner-up.

The winners were rewarded with a 100% educational scholarship from Synergy worth Rs. 210,000/- whilst the runners-up received a 50% scholarship worth Rs. 105,000/-. All participants were awarded certificates of challenge.

Leader of the winning team, Thilanga Sumathipala said, "From day one after we were briefed on our project we planned our program carefully, working according to the given time lines and completing the project on schedule. The learning we got from Synergy gave us the pillars to succeed in this task. On behalf of the team I would like to thank the management of Synergy and Hemas for giving us this fantastic learning experience.

We hope the Insight Out program will continue as it would definitely help students to get first hand business experience essential for their careers in marketing".

Insight out is an innovative learning program designed by Synergy, to give its students the opportunity to experience the market place and thereby make use of their learning to further both their professional exams and careers.