As global workplaces face rising expectations from employees, customers, and society, the demand for ethical leadership has never been greater.
1:
At a time when leadership faces growing scrutiny, the Women in Management (WIM) organization brought together an influential panel to discuss one of the most urgent issues facing workplaces today: ethical leadership. Hosted at Cinnamon Life Colombo and aligned with WIM’s ongoing Respectful Workplace initiative, the event drew a diverse audience of corporate leaders, HR professionals, and business executives, all focused on a common goal; redefining leadership through the lens of integrity, empathy, and accountability.Curated and moderated by Dr. Sulochana Segera, Founder and Chairperson of WIM, the panel underscored the fundamental message that ethical leadership is not a trend or a checkbox, it is the cornerstone of resilient, values-driven organizations and a key driver of national progress.“Ethics is not a side note, it’s the main script,” Dr. Segera emphasized. “We must move beyond social media visibility and superficial titles to build a leadership culture rooted in values and purpose.”
2:
A Panel of Powerful Voices
The high-impact panel featured five distinguished leaders from across sectors:
- Ishara Naufal, Senior Vice President - HR, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts
- Rajitha Jayasuriya, Director - Corporate Affairs at MAS Holdings and Chairperson, Sri Lanka Apparel Association
- Sabrina Esufally, Managing Director, Hemas Consumer Brands
- IndiwariAmuwatte, General Manager - English News and Current Affairs, Ada Derana
- Denver De Zylva, Global Head of Sustainability and Joint Country Head, Virtusa Corporation Sri Lanka
Each speaker brought unique insights, emphasizing that ethical leadership must be more than a corporate slogan, it should be reflected in daily decisions, company culture, and personal behaviour.
3:
From Policy to Practice
“Ethical leadership today is not just an aspiration; it’s a responsibility,” said Denver De Zylva, offering a sustainability and global business perspective. “True leadership means showing up with courage, clarity, and consistency, even when the stakes are high. It’s about values in action, decisions that outlast titles and trends.”
For Sabrina Esufally, the call for integrity in leadership stems from consumer expectations as well as internal culture. “In the past, ethics might have been a section on a company website,” she said. “Now, it’s about walking the talk. Ethics must be experienced by both employees and customers. That’s the difference between being performative and being principled.”
4:
Accountability in the Apparel Industry
From Sri Lanka’s leading apparel exporter MAS Holdings, Rajitha Jayasuriya spoke passionately about the company’s long-standing ethical framework. “Our leadership ethos is deeply embedded in responsibility, toward our employees, the communities we operate in, and the planet,” she stated. “At MAS, ethics are non-negotiable. Even when the right path is not the easiest or most popular, it’s the one we commit to. That’s the core of our DNA.”Her comments resonated with the broader industry need to shift from compliance-based ethics to deeply embedded cultural values; an approach that sustains trust and long-term value creation.
5:
Hospitality with Heart
Bringing the hospitality sector’s lens to the conversation, Ishara Naufal emphasized the need for leaders to place human values at the heart of business. “For me, ethical leadership is about integrity, empathy, and responsibility,” she said. “It’s not just about making profitable decisions, but about making the right decisions. Fairness, transparency, and consistency should be the guiding lights. And crucially, we must hold ourselves accountable while creating safe spaces for others to lead with integrity.”Her comments highlighted how trust and loyalty in the service industry are earned through value-based actions, not words.
6:
Media Ethics in the Digital Age
With her vantage point from one of Sri Lanka’s leading electronic media houses, IndiwariAmuwatte offered powerful insights on the moral weight of editorial decisions in today’s fast-paced media environment. “Media decisions can shape public narratives in seconds. Ethical leadership here isn’t optional; it’s essential,” she asserted. “Integrity, empathy, and accountability are non-negotiables in journalism. What we choose to highlight, or not, can reverberate far beyond the newsroom.”In an era of information overload and disinformation, her remarks served as a timely reminder of the critical role ethical journalism plays in preserving public trust.
7:
The Next Generation of Leaders
In her closing remarks, Dr. Sulochana Segera turned her focus to the emerging generation of corporate leaders. “We see a growing trend among young professionals prioritizing titles and visibility over substance,” she noted. “But real leadership is about cultivating a personal brand grounded in ethics, not popularity. Organizations must intentionally nurture second-line leaders who lead with conviction, not just ambition.”She urged organizations to embed ethical training into leadership development and succession planning, stressing that the future depends not only on charismatic CEOs but also on middle managers and team leads who lead with moral clarity.
8:
Technology Meets Integrity
The event also spotlighted IntegrityAlert.ai, a strategic partner of WIM and a trailblazing AI-powered ethics and compliance platform. Designed to enable secure whistleblowing, grievance management, and transparent investigations, the platform is already in use by leading corporations to strengthen internal governance.
Its inclusion signalled the increasing role of technology in supporting ethical business practices, providing a confidential and efficient framework for organizations to walk the talk.
9:
Looking Ahead
With 55 participants representing senior leadership, human resources, sustainability, media, and business development, the event served not only as a platform for dialogue but also as a launchpad for action. In a forward-looking announcement, WIM unveiled its exciting upcoming initiatives, including:
- Youth Top40 Awards- June 12, 2025
- Corporate Olympiad – June 29, 2025
- NextTier Leadership Awards – October 8, 2025
- Women SME Awards – October 7, 2025
- Top50 Awards – October 9, 2025
- UK Top50 Awards – November 8, 2025
These initiatives reinforce WIM’s unwavering commitment to celebrating ethical leadership, inclusion, and women’s empowerment across sectors and borders.
10:
A New Era of Ethical Leadership
The conversation at Cinnamon Life was not just about ethical theory, it was a call to action. As global workplaces face rising expectations from employees, customers, and society, the demand for ethical leadership has never been greater. This panel powerfully illustrated that ethics cannot be relegated to mission statements or forgotten HR policies. They must be lived every day, by every leader, in every decision.By sparking this dialogue, WIM has reaffirmed its role as a catalyst for change, reminding us that ethical leadership is not a luxury, it is the foundation for trust, innovation, and meaningful impact in the modern workplace.
