CONQUER THE STAGE: Speak with Power, Passion & Purpose

Dr Dilip R Abayasekara Dr Dilip R Abayasekara is a renowned professional speaker, speech coach, pastor, and former scientist with a career spanning more than three decades. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and a Master of Divinity. He is a two-time finalist at the World Championship of Public Speaking and the 1992 second-place winner. He also earned the prestigious Accredited Speaker designation in 1996. He served as International President of Toastmasters in 2005–2006. Widely honoured for his contributions, Dr Dilip is the author of influential books on communication and continues to mentor speakers around the world.Kadri Pethi Kathiravan M. Pethi is a renowned speech coach to CEOs and country heads, known for transforming speakers through the power of storytelling. He holds a Guinness World Record for teaching the world’s longest lesson on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision and won the International Taped Speech Contest, surpassing 6,500 participants from 65 countries. A TEDx speaker and Storytelling Alchemist, he has co-authored multiple books. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in representing the goals and ideals of Toastmasters International, he was honoured with the Presidential Citation Award in 2025—one of the organisation’s highest accolades. As Founder of Kadri Leadership Academy, he has trained more than 300,000 individuals, including Fortune 500 leaders, medical professionals, and students.