Christell Skin Clinic proved their mettle as industry leaders yet again, by clinching the three topmost awards at the recently held Western Province Entrepreneurship Awards Ceremony 2020.
The highly-anticipated annual event, jointly organised by the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) and the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, took place this year at the BMICH. The event brought together industry leaders and newcomers with the aim to recognise and honour micro, small, medium and large sector entrepreneurs that have contributed significantly to Sri Lanka’s service sector over the past year.
The country’s leading aesthetics and wellness centre took home The Best Enterprise service sector trophy, as well as the Best Entrepreneur of the Year award, the most sought-after prize of the night. More notably, however, the Best Woman Entrepreneur title was awarded to the director of the Christell Skin Clinic, Dr. Shanika Arsecularatne, in recognition of her inspirational journey to becoming one of the most successful businesswomen in the country, and also of her outstanding contribution to the field of cosmetology and wellness in Sri Lanka.
“I’m truly honoured to receive this recognition, especially because I believe that no one receives an award like this out of sheer luck, but rather in acknowledgement and appreciation of the hard work, sleepless nights and sacrifices we have all made, to be where we are today,” said Dr. Arsecularatne on accepting her award.
“As a young doctor, my decisions and expertise would be constantly questioned, especially by those who were sceptical,” she said, speaking further on the many hurdles faced when attempting to break through as a provider of niche medical services.
“Additionally, due to the lack of proper awareness and unfortunate incidents owing to unsafe procedures conducted by practitioners previously, we had to work very hard to convince patients to get the treatments they needed; conducting workshops, TV programs, and social media education campaigns in order to create awareness and trust among the general public,” she also said.
Dr. Shanika Arsecularatne, alongside her mother, Prof. Ramani Arsecularatne, have celebrated milestone after milestone of their multiple award-winning centre ever since its founding in 2014.
As it stands now, The Christell Skin Clinic boasts two state-of-the-art facilities in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with over 50 full-time employees, including specialised cosmetologists, medical doctors, and nursing staff. The centre has served more than 20,000 clients to date, including heads of state, VVIPs, ambassadors, expats, and residents; with some clients even flying to Sri Lanka for treatments and therapies.
More importantly however, as a result of Dr. Arsecularatne and Prof. Arsecularatne’s continuous efforts in educating the public about new and safe treatments available today, thousands of patients have found in themselves a renewed sense of self-confidence, and as a result, a significant improvement in their quality of life.
