FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – André Lacroix, the CEO of Intertek Group plc and a notable French entrepreneur, has introduced the Sinhalese edition of his book, which critiques traditional leadership paradigms, at two academic institutions in Sri Lanka.
Titled Leadership with Soul, the book encourages existing and aspiring leaders to pause, contemplate, and reshape their leadership strategies to enhance their effectiveness. “This book serves as a roadmap for cultivating organizations where people, purpose, and performance are interconnected,” stated André. “Leveraging over thirty years of my global leadership experience, it provides actionable insights on motivating individuals, fostering customer-focused organizations, and establishing a meaningful legacy. Today, we are excited to present the Sinhalese edition, allowing these enduring leadership concepts to reach a broader audience.”
This marks André’s inaugural visit to Sri Lanka and represents a significant milestone for the country’s testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) sector, as Leadership with Soul is the first leadership book authored by a leader from a FTSE 100 TIC company to be launched there and in Sinhalese.
André oversees a global business focused on Total Quality Assurance that has been operational in Sri Lanka since 2008, providing its ATIC (Assurance, Testing, Inspection, and Certification) services to clients in various fields such as Softlines, Cargo, Oil & Gas, Audits & Assurance, and Environmental sectors.
During his visit, he engaged with students, faculty, and prominent figures within Sri Lanka’s textile and apparel industry at the University of Moratuwa. Additionally, he addressed students from the Faculty of Management and Finance at the University of Colombo, discussing the ten foundational principles embedded in Leadership with Soul and responding to student inquiries.
The launch of the Sinhalese edition was attended by senior academic staff and industry professionals, with the first signed copies of the book being donated to the university libraries. T S Jayawardana, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering at the University of Moratuwa, remarked, “With the availability of Leadership with Soul in Sinhalese, we enable students to engage more profoundly with its concepts in a familiar language. The book encapsulates ten impactful leadership principles that can steer the youth of Sri Lanka as they prepare to enter the workforce and strive to realize their full potential.”
K A S P Kaluarachchi, Director of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Colombo, noted, “This book provides practical wisdom and guidance for fostering a leadership style grounded in self-awareness, compassion, integrity, authenticity, trust, and transparency.” Maduka Udunuwara, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Management and Finance, added, “This publication is a priceless contribution to the field of leadership literature.”
In his book, Lacroix shares his framework for achieving business success, developed over more than thirty years while working with leading organizations such as Ernst & Young, PepsiCo, Burger King, Euro Disney, Inchcape, Reckitt Benckiser, and Intertek. He credits his achievements to a compassionate, human-centered approach aimed at promoting sustainable growth and value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees, shareholders, communities, and society at large.
For additional information about Leadership with Soul, please visit: leadershipwithsoul.com
