Waquis looking at expanding to Canada

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Waquis (PVt) Ltd., an American Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) company registered under BOI, is looking at expanding to Canada.

Established on March 6, 2007 to provide BPO services to numerous leading US banks in the area of mortgage loan processing and work concurrently with American banks on line, is confident that they can enter the Canadian market as well.

Managing Director, Mahinda Athulathmudali, said that they had made inroads to Canadian markets and the response had been positive.

The company’s main objective is to work with the US Mortgage Industry in processing American Residential Loans.

“The clients are extremely understanding of the need in creating employment for Sri Lankan youths. They too have helped the company to increase the staff cadre.”

He said that US clients who were doing business with them save over 50% by entrusting work to us. “We are also looking at securing the services of new clients in the US.”

He recalled that initially, their President Joe O’Neil planned to open operations in India, but with his influence he changed the decision to create the operations in Sri Lanka.

Athulathmudali, educated at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, with undergraduate and postgraduate studies his primary objective, was to employ educated youths in Sri Lanka. “That is those who have passed advanced level, but failed to get admission to various universities. These youths were very talented, disciplined and committed employees. Today we have created employment for 180 Sri Lankan youths.”

The excellent services performed by the youths have created many more positions for Waquis (Pvt) Ltd.

Recently, Michael Mahar, Ms. Kelly Henry and Doug York one of the major clients visited the operations of Waquis in Sri Lanka.

“They were delighted with the company, talented employees and operations. Ms. Deb Ruhl and Ms. Mary Dusseldorf and Ms. Charo Houston are hoping that the company could further develop to assist and increase employment.”

The company youths are from various parts of the country and those who come from faraway places and the employees from Colombo work very well by helping each other in learning and working together as a team. It is very interesting when youths from villages and the city combine together in a very cordial manner and how they build their relationship. They have unbelievably created a very pleasant working environment.

“We also employ disabled youths and groups of people who work with me are very compassionate and dedicated to those who are not as fortunate as themselves.”

Waquis employees have sponsored children of those who were killed in action during the war.

Some members of the Waquis IT team are voluntarily training injured soldiers at the Commandos’ camp at Ganemulla on Saturdays. “Some members of our administrative staff are voluntarily coordinating with the staff of the Commando camp at Ganemulla in promoting the sales of items made by the injured soldiers at the camp.”

“We are ready to help those who are less fortunate and to provide employment disregarding their religion, race or disability,” he said.