Sir Ian Jennings is known for a lot of things, but the one thing I know that I’ll always remember is that axiom, which he was generous enough to share with me — One should always have dreams. Truth be told, his life certainly does seem to be the stuff of dreams. In 1993, Sir Ian Jennings landed in Sri Lanka and took on the role of Project Manager at the World Trade Centre — that bastion of the corporate world in this diminutive island.
The heart-warming part of his story is that he was enamored by this serendipitous land and chose to come back again in January 2000 — a new millennium, a new life — to stay. Nowadays, Sir Ian Jennings prefers to lounge by his own private pool, and enjoy the heady sunsets on Mount Lavinia beach while dining at La Rambla. But just like the stately old Roll Royce that stands strong and proud in its classic years in his garage, Sir Ian Jennings too is eager to approach new architectural endeavors via his company PANARCH.
Making a mental note to try La Rambla, Sir Ian Jennings led me down memory lane as he ventured far and wide into the nooks and crannies of his life to show me that it truly was a life well lived. He has never actually left England (how could anyone with all that Devonshire cream and red strawberries?) preferring to travel back and forth to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Before Sri Lanka, he worked in Nigeria and the Middle East for 12 years including 4 wonderful years in Iraq. Returning back again to England, he was elected as a Common Councilman in the City of London for many years before becoming restless for a venture. He was offered the position of Project Manager at the WTC. Being cautious about Sri Lanka, Sir Ian flew out for a weekend of discovery. It was at that time while staying at the Meridien (now known as the Galadari) which convinced him that Sri Lanka was very different to India. Galle Face with her seductive sunsets, and the hospitable nature of Lankans in general were certainly viewed as plus points.
He was of the view that there are things which are far more important than just money, and those things would be loving what you do and spending time with family. His was the first consultancy company to register with the BOI in 1998. Harking back to the good old days, with a wistful look in his eyes, he’d talk about always traveling to Mount Lavinia and enjoying the golden beach with its cerulean blue skies.
At present, Sir Ian Jennings has built a 7-unit apartment in Mount Lavinia and resides there as well. Quite happy where he is, he talks of how he is taken for walks on the beach by his two dogs. Remember how I spoke about dreams initially, well, this life of Sir Ian Jennings is what he has carved for himself rather adroitly. Although he is semi-retired, he is of the opinion that he will never fully retire since that would be surrendering into oblivious complacency, which surely would be anathema for a person of his character.
I suppose it’s an understatement to say that Sir Ian Jennings is a contented gentleman. He agreed; and stated that it’s because he was fortunate to be living life the way he wanted to in Sri Lanka. It’s home away from home for him with Sri Lanka quite British in its demeanor with a laid back style that’s very attractive. He went on to mention the helpful nature of Lankans, which is not something that’s prevalent elsewhere.
Mentioning Galadari as a favorite haunt, Sir Ian Jennings, went on to mention how a small drink (Colombo Gin is a favorite while Merlot is preferred over Cabernet Sauvignon) is always a necessity before a night out at the theatre with his dear lady friend, Averil. Another favorite of his is the rooftop of Cinnamon Red where the view is just fantastic. The Cheers Pub used to be a favorite (when they used to do a proper English-style fish and chips) too initially, and it was at this particular juncture that I found out that Sir Ian Jennings happened to the Project Manager for the Monarch as well.
Speaking of the early days when the World Trade Centre was coming up, he mentioned how he felt that Sri Lankans are very keen to learn. This is apparent in the steady growth in all sectors of the economy. Sir Ian Jennings was of the opinion that this diminutive island could become the next IT centre in South Asia mirroring the success of Bangalore. This statement is quite telling since I managed to get my hands on some interesting data with regard to the IT industry in Sri Lanka.
Consider the fact that in 2007 the BPO workforce was 4,000 while the IT workforce was north of 34,000; today the workforce is over 100,000 with the IT industry worth USD 1 billion. In 2007, the IT industry was worth a mere USD 213 million.
The current aim is to hit USD 5 billion by 2020 while offering employment to 200,000 talented individuals. However, if a forecast is to be attempted at then based on past performance, Sri Lanka is geared to beating the industry prognostications offered up for 2020.
With change certainly happening, Sir Ian Jennings, explained the stark progress Sri Lanka has made throughout the years — a change that he has witnessed with progress rubbing off in all aspects of Sri Lankan life. Steering the conversation towards hobbies and interests, I gleaned that he certainly was a sports aficionado with tennis ranking quite high.
Always a traveler at heart, he enjoys a quick weekend getaway in locations such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. But with time running out for both of us, I just had to pop in a quick question: Favorite location of all time? Sri Lanka of course; as Sir Ian Jennings says — It is my home.