The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) is the apex body for Sri Lankan Marketers, which was founded in 1970 and subsequently incorporated by an act of Parliament in 1980, recognizing it as the National Body
for Marketing.
SLIM is known for national marketing recognition awards; Peoples Awards, Brand
Excellence, Effie and NASCO, marketing education and membership.
SLIM held its 51st Annual general meeting on 7th April 2021, where Thilanka Abeywardena got elected as its first ever female president in the 50 years history.
Thilanka Abeywardena is an International Marketing professional with 15 years of experience in strategic marketing management with geographic exposure ranging from Sri Lanka, UAE to emerging Asian markets.
She is currently working as the CMO Lead – South East Asia Emerging Markets at the Fortune 500 Company; Microsoft leading marketing and communications across 9 Asian countries; Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. She is the former head of Marketing & Communications at Etisalat Lanka and corporate brand manager at E-WIS.
Thilanka holds an MBA (UK), BSc Special (Hons) degree in IT and have completed postgraduate diploma in marketingat CIM, UK. She has also completed the Executive Education in Modern Marketing from Kellogg School of Management.
Thilanka holds multiple marketing awards under her belt for the work in Sri Lanka and Myanmar including Effie, PR Awards Asia, Brand Excellence and Manthan Awards. She was also recognized by Women in
Management and International Finance Corporation (World bank group) at the 6th Professional & Career Women Awards for Leadership Excellence in Marketing in 2016. (NewsWire)