Unilever Sri Lanka continues to rise in the LMD ‘Most Respected’ rankings

Unilever Sri Lanka continued its march forward in the rankings of Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entities’, securing 4th position – up one place from last year.

“What we are really proud of is the steady climb we have made in the rankings. Unilever Sri Lanka was placed 11th in 2006 and has risen each year since to be placed 8th, 7th and 5th in 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively. We also maintained our position as the highest ranked multinational and the highest ranked non listed company”, said Amal Cabraal, the Chairman/CEO of Unilever Sri Lanka.

The annual survey, conceptualized and commissioned by LMD, Sri Lanka’s leading business magazine, is conducted by the AC Nielsen Company. The survey covers a sample of 800 senior business executives and is designed to rank the most respected entities in Sri Lanka and determine the reasons why they are perceived as such.

Commenting further on Unilever’s continued progress in the rankings, Mr. Cabraal stated that it was a reflection of the company’s sustained business growth and commitment to its core values. “I am delighted that Unilever Sri Lanka has not only improved its overall position, but also enhanced its position among all 10 business drivers and governance criteria that the companies were ranked on. Unilever is ranked No. 1 in quality consciousness and has continued to score high on financial performance, management profile, honesty, innovation, dynamism, corporate culture, CSR, vision and nation-mindedness.”

Unilever’s ranking in the CSR criteria has improved considerably and now stands at No. 2. “No doubt the launch last year of our first Sustainability Report which highlighted the many initiatives we have taken based on our philosophy of ‘doing well by doing good’, helped people understand our commitment to sustainable development,” explained Mr. Cabraal. “We also upped our ranking in the Nation-Mindedness criteria from 20th position in 2008 to 7th in 2010,” which, according to him is an affirmation of Unilever’s commitment to local manufacture and the strengthening of its links with the community it serves.

As at today, Unilever Sri Lanka has a history of 70 years of manufacturing in this country and produces 95% of all the products it markets in Sri Lanka.  With the relocation of their manufacturing plants to Horana, the Company envisions an even greater contribution to Sri Lanka’s commercial and social landscapes. Despite the tough economic environment and many business challenges, Unilever Sri Lanka has delivered outstanding results on all fronts of the business, which has no doubt led to the rise in their rankings. The company has maintained its overall market dominance and achieved eight consecutive years of double-digit growth to date.