Alpha honours its Heroes in Sri Lanka

Gavin Lipsith

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Suppliers and supporters from around the world joined over 350 Alpha Orient Lanka staff this weekend to celebrate the achievements of some of the company employees at the Alpha Asia Heroes event in Colombo

Alpha Orient Lanka held its third Alpha Asia Heroes event on Saturday (September 16), rewarding the hard work of its employees with several awards presented during a spectacular event at the Colombo Hilton. The awards, which were based on nominations from co-workers followed by assessment from an independent panel of judges, were greeted with unbridled enthusiasm from the company's 395 employees.

For many of the winners, the financial prize – up to $2,000 for the overall winner – is enough to make a marked difference to their quality of life, and previous winners have used the prizes to pay for their children's education, repay housing loans and make essential repairs to their homes. Alpha CEO Peter Williams, who visited the group's operations in Sri Lanka for the first time on the Heroes weekend, told DFNI Asia that he was touched by the raw emotion on display at the event.

In total, 18 individual and team awards were presented to about 115 winners, with cash prizes totalling over $50,000. The big winner of the evening was marketing executive Priyantha Pushpakumara. He said: "I have worked 17 years for Alpha Orient Lanka and I still love my job. To me, all my colleagues are heroes as well."

Alpha Asia managing director Paul Topping said that nominations were up by 45% on the previous Heroes event, to more than 1,300. He said: "I am proud of my entire team. The deafening applause extended by winners and non-winners alike was very touching and fulfilling."

See DFNI October 1 for more on Alpha Asia's Heroes programme and event.