AROSHI NANAYAKKARA

She is the CEO of the Global Consulting Company. She is a dynamic leader in the fields of Strategic Planning, HR and Risk Management, having gathered extensive experience through her twenty-five-year career working in multinationals, as well as some of Sri Lanka’s most prominent blue-chip companies. She is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Sampath Bank PLC, and is a member of the Board Credit Committee, Treasury Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, IT Committee, Shareholder Relations Committee and she chairs the HR and Remuneration Committee and the Marketing Committee. She is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Asian Hotels and Properties PLC (John Keells Group), and she is the Chairperson of its Audit Committee. She is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Hela Clothing (PVT) Ltd, Hela Apparel Holdings (PVT) Ltd, Foundation Garments (PVT) Ltd and F.D.N Sourcing (PVT) Ltd. She is the Vice Chairman and Board Director of Sri Lanka Institute of Directors. She is the Chairperson of the Women Director’s Forum and the President of the Rotary Club of Colombo for the year 2021 / 2022. She was a member of the ‘University and Higher Education Steering Committee’ of the National Human Resource Development Council of Sri Lanka, and has authored the Corporate Governance chapter of the ‘Handbook of Good Governance for Chairmen and Boards of Directors of Public Enterprises,’ the first copy of which was presented to the Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, on the 5th December, 2017. She is currently serving on the committee which is revamping the ‘Corporate Directors Handbook’ for Private sector organizations, a joint initiative by CIMA and SLID.

She commenced her career as a Corporate Banker, first, at ABN AMRO Bank NV and later at Deutsche Bank AG Sri Lanka. She moved from banking into HR, and joined Eagle Insurance (a former subsidiary of the Ceylon Tobacco Company) handling Human Resource Development and Strategic Planning for the company. During her tenure, she had the opportunity to steer the company’s human resources through two major strategic changes; first, when Eagle merged with the Zurich Financial Services Group and second, when Eagle was strategically aligned to the NDB Banking Group. She quickly rose up the corporate ladder to join Delmege Group as Group Director, Human Resource Development, whilst also serving as a Board Director of its subsidiary, Delmege Interior Décor (PVT) Ltd. She subsequently, shifted industries to join Sri Lanka’s largest apparel group, the Brandix Group, as their Chief Risk Officer, overlooking the functions of internal audit and compliance. Her final role at Brandix was an operational one, as CEO of Brandix Hangers (PVT) Ltd. She was also the former Independent Non-Executive Director of Siyapatha Finance PLC and Sampath IT Solutions (PVT) Ltd.

She holds a BSc. from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA, in addition to a MSc. from the London School of Economics (LSE), UK. She has been an Educational Counsellor for MIT, a voluntary position which involves interviewing candidates for MIT’s incoming undergraduate batch. She also holds Professional qualifications in ACMA and CGMA, from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), UK.

She was featured in the CIMA CGMA World Women’s Day Asia Pacific video 2021, the ACMA CGMA C-Suite program brochure and has also been recognized as one of the “Game Changers” of CIMA. She was also recently recognized as one of the Top 22 Women Leaders of Sri Lanka at the World Women Leadership Congress and Awards 2020 hosted by CMO Asia, and she was also the recipient of the “Top 50 Professional and Career Women” Award in 2020, hosted by IFC (a Member of the World Bank) and Women in Management, Sri Lanka.

She has been a Panelist and Moderator at many public forums particularly in the Finance and Accounting sectors. She has served as a member of the Panel of Judges for the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), The Most Admired Companies 2019 Awards. She has also served as an HR Advisor to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).

Her wide consulting experience covers design and implementation of merger strategies in the financial services sector with a view to enhancing inorganic growth. She has assisted several prominent companies across a range of sectors, from manufacturing to the service industry, in setting strategy for the future, in transforming the company’s vision into achievable milestones for its staff, in setting the Risk agenda and Framework for orgnizations and in the formation of Strategic HR units. Her expertise in corporate training has been leveraged by leading organizations in the banking, manufacturing and services sectors. She delivers transformative leadership boot camps, corporate strategy setting workshops and soft skills training in addition to her popular ‘super-woman’ programme. She is an IFC Certified Trainer and an International Coach Federation (ICF) certified Executive Coach providing training to individuals in the corporate sector. She Can and she is a courageous, inspirational corporate powerhouse; Aroshi Nanayakkara.

What are the most important attributes of successful leaders today?

Vision and Passion. A Vision of a future state, a purpose of being that drives them and the passion and commitment to see it through, whatever the odds. These are displayed in every leader of today and yesteryear. In my opinion, what truly sets apart a good leader is his or her integrity and the commitment for greater good rather than narrow self-absorption.

How did you move forward when everyone kept telling you that your suggestions or ideas won't work?

My formula for success has been a bit different. Particularly, where convincing is required, I have taken things on a small scale, delivered value and showed the benefit that it can accrue to the organization. Influencing becomes much easier when you have actual facts and figures to back you up. This way, all key decision-makers become very comfortable with what you are trying to do minimizing the cultural resistance that you will encounter.

Do you ever think – “Am I crazy?"

I like being crazy! One thing I truly dislike is being common or remaining the same. As a result, I constantly want to reinvent just to keep myself mentally stimulated! And, I rarely take no for an answer!

How do you differentiate yourself?

I don’t! I’m just me and continue to be so!

What is your 'why?’

I’m passionate about delivering value whether it’s to an organization or to a person. I also genuinely like people and would help them in whatever way I possibly can.

Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?

Inspiration comes from within and from any societal factor that triggers my imagination. Recently I was at an Installation Ceremony of a Rotaract Club and something one of the members said triggered me to develop a Youth Leadership program that we hope to launch soon. Whom do I look up to? I admire many people for the great work that they do or have done, but my wise counsel has always been my father. He is the one I take a problem to, for debate and analysis. I will still make my own decision, but what he says balances out the action plan I decide on.

Your biggest regret?

I don’t have too many regrets! I have thoroughly enjoyed what I have done in every phase of my career and through all of the various voluntary organizations I have contributed to.

What is your biggest fear and how do you manage it?

Again, not too many of these either. I guess I’m a little strange! I have always taken the proverbial bull by the horns and got on with the job!

How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles?

As a leader, you are the center around which a team revolves. Not in terms of controlling what they do but in how they align themselves to a cause. The most important aspect for me has been to show each member of my team that I care, that I’m there for them whatever the issue, whether official or personal, and that my support is always with them. Almost all of my past subordinates still call me on my birthday, fifteen years after we parted ways! And when your team understands that you don’t favor one over the other, it becomes very easy to glue a great team together.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

A career is a journey that you are on. So along the way, you have many highlights and many moments that you are truly satisfied with what you have done. It is that doing which brings the recognition and for me, the satisfaction.

What do you want to achieve next?

The Sri Lankan people are an incredibly gifted people. They are highly intelligent and capable if you know how to extract that potential out of them. For a country, which is but a speck on the global landscape, we pack a pretty good punch! What I would like to see is for this to be enhanced further for Sri Lanka to achieve true global recognition, not just for our beaches and tea, but for everything else that we can do. My effort will be focused towards making the companies that I’m on the Boards of, some of the best in the world.

If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career what would it be?

I don’t think I’d want to do anything differently. I have taken leaps into areas in which I had no knowledge or previous experience. I started off as a Banker, moved into HR and then moved into Risk Management and Internal Audit. But it is this journey that I have had, that has brought me to where I am today.

What was the biggest rookie mistake you made when just starting out?

I’ve made many mistakes but can’t recall any one in particular!

Have you been harassed or discriminated against?

No.

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

I would be continuing on the same path for sure as I’m very much a ‘corporate’ person. There are a few more positions that I am in line to take up, one of which is the Chairmanship of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors, and possibly make a contribution to a few more companies.

Share with us a secret no-one else knows.

I’m an avid baker and who knows, I might start my own line of baking goods in my retirement!

What woman inspires you and why?

Again, my inspiration comes from within rather than from outside. However, I admire many women both local and international who have gone through much to achieve great career success.

How do you want to be remembered one day?

As someone who truly cared about each individual and passionately worked towards the best in an organization. This is the personal brand that I have created.