IFS, the global cloud enterprise software company, announced today that it is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the inception of its Sri Lankan operations. Since 1997, IFS has made major investments into the workforce and community, becoming the second largest technology employer in the country.
At a time when Sri Lanka’s ICT industry was developing, IFS saw an opportunity to set up its innovation hub in the Asian region due to the country’s excellent technology talent.
Today, IFS Sri Lanka is a powerhouse in the local ICT industry, with more than 2,200 employees, accounting for approximately 40% of IFS’s global staff.
IFS Chief Executive Officer Darren Roos commented: “It goes without saying that our Sri Lankan team has played a critical role in providing us with the organizational support and agility we needed to achieve the growth that we have.”
Roos continued: “The team’s contribution to our success and company culture is felt throughout the organization because it supports so many of IFS’s working processes from R&D to HR, Marketing, Support and more. I am very proud of what we have achieved together and of the contribution that we are making as the second largest employer and with the IFS Foundation,” Roos added: “25 years is a very significant journey that we look forward to progressing as we also continue to invest in our business here.
“Over the past five years, our employee base in Sri Lanka has almost tripled since 2017 to over 2,200.” Concluded Roos
IFS Sri Lanka has strong business units overseeing the most extensive R&D center outside of Sweden in addition to Finance, Procurement, Marketing, Global Customer Support, Cloud Operations, Consulting, IFS Labs, and South Asia Customer Organization.
IFS Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Ranil Rajapakse, who is also one of the original IFS Sri Lanka employees, commented: “It is a surreal moment to reflect upon our humble start with 26 people in our Colombo office and compare it to where we are now. 25 years ago, IFS was virtually unknown in Sri Lanka, but today people recognize it as a well-respected technology big-hitter and a force to be reckoned with in the industry.”
“It has been a rich and rewarding experience to witness the company’s ascent and transformation over the last 25 years. Especially seeing the extensive growth of our employee network entering IFS as graduates, I am honored to work alongside such an intelligent, hardworking, and driven team of professionals. I cannot wait to see what the next 25 years bring for IFS Sri Lanka,” concluded Rajapakse.
Additional Highlights of 25 Years in Sri Lanka:
- Over the last 25 years, the company has generated more than 5,000 employment opportunities for Sri Lankans.
- Close to 80% of global product support services and 60% of the global product development of IFS is facilitated out of Colombo.
- In 2022, IFS partnered with Hatch to launch Challenger X, a tech incubation program in Sri Lanka, to foster innovation in the country’s growing tech sector.
- IFS Sri Lanka was ranked amongst the top 100 Sri Lankan in the `Most Respected Entities in Sri Lanka‘ corporates by LMD Magazine.
- IFS Sri Lanka ranked as a top Sri Lankan business entity in Dynamism, Corporate Culture, Innovation, Management Profile, and HR/People Management lists.
- The IFS Foundation continues to invest in a series of projects in partnership with local Sri Lankan communities to alleviate poverty.
