VIDYANI HETTIGODA

She is a Director of Hettigoda Group of Companies, which includes Siddhalepa Ayurveda Hospital (PVT) Ltd, Hettigoda City (PVT) Ltd, Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort (PVT) Ltd, Hettigoda Distributers (PVT) Ltd, Ayurveda Research and Development (PVT) Ltd, Siddhalepa Exports (PVT) Ltd, Siddhalepa Plantations (PVT) Ltd and Siddhalepa Ayurveda Herbals (PVT) Ltd. She is an Executive Member of Small and Medium Enterprise Developers, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Sri Lanka. She is also a Board Member of Youth Business Sri Lanka, Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Giftware and Lifestyle and is a Member of the Council of Governors, Sri Lanka Business Development Centre. She is the Former Vice Chairperson of the SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council (SCWEC) and she was also the Former Chairperson of the Women’s Chamber of Industries and Commerce (WCIC), Sri Lanka. She was the recipient of the ‘Chevalier L’Ordre National Du Merite’ (the Knight in the Order of Merit) award presented by the President of France. She was also the recipient of the World Women Leadership Congress Award, Mumbai. In 2013, she represented Sri Lanka in the US on a study tour based on empowering women, and in the same year, she also represented the country at the 15th session of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization General Conference in Peru. Consecutively, she has been ranked as one of the fifty most powerful female entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.

She Can and she is an iconic Sri Lankan female entrepreneur with a career spanning over twenty-years. With her ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude, she has revolutionized the Ayurveda industry in Sri Lanka and has introduced game-changing, innovative new verticals which she has also managed to launch successfully globally. She is a champion for women’s empowerment and advocates for gender equality in the workplace. She has mentored hundreds of rural women and have successfully helped many of them become entrepreneurs. She is a patriotic Sri Lankan business leader who believes in investing in Sri Lanka and dreams of building a better country for future generations. She is assertive, courageous and disciplined; Vidyani Hettigoda.

Share with us a summary of your corporate journey?

My corporate journey began in UK, when I made the momentous decision to come back to Sri Lanka to join the family business. I had lived in London for a long period of time, studying and working. Even my father was unsure if I could come back from that environment and fit in with the Hettigoda Group of Companies, where I am currently a Director. It was not an easy journey, and being a family member didn’t ensure my instant acceptability within the company. I had to continually prove myself. Today, I am proud to say that I am a successful entrepreneur and business leader who has transformed an already thriving, traditional family business based on Ayurveda medicine, marketing a range of products catering to varied segments, from personal care, healthcare, herbal oils, food supplements, and also the international resort and spa industry. As a key member of our marketing team I have taken on the leadership role in growing and developing the brand credibility and appeal of Ayurveda to a new level. I have been successful in making it a luxury offering through the introduction of Ayurvedic Spas both locally and internationally.

Share with us a summary of your personal journey?

My primary and secondary education was in Colombo, and thereafter, I migrated to UK for my tertiary education. I hold a Degree in Business and Computer Software from Middlesex University, UK. I have also worked as a Systems Specialist at Royal Mail, UK. I am the eldest in the Hettigoda family, now known as the “First Family of Modern Ayurveda” in Sri Lanka. Yes, I am truly proud of our family’s heritage in Ayurveda, and I firmly believe that I have contributed immensely in to taking it to the next level, together with the rest of my family members who are all a part of the third generation of the Hettigoda family. Besides my achievements with the Hettigoda Group, I believe I have been an inspiration to aspiring women entrepreneurs, and I have continuously championed for women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka. I have been appointed to numerous boards and councils of organizations that work towards women empowerment and women in business.

What are the most important attributes of successful leaders today?

My mantra of successful leadership is basic and simple, but strong. I firmly believe that being focused on your work, goals and objectives is key to being a successful leader. You also have to like what you are doing. I am fortunate to be born in to a family with a rich heritage in an ancient South Asian science. I firmly believe in the power and efficacy of Ayurveda and have the confidence to take on any challenge to nurture and diversify its fundamental values to society. Empathy is also a strong attribute of a good leader. I also believe it’s important to be a good listener and a team player.

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

When I returned from my higher studies, and a short work stint in London, Hettigoda Industries was already a fully-fledged Ayurveda products manufacturer and distributor in Sri Lanka, with its flagship and iconic brand Siddhalepa balm. The company had established management systems, work ethics and an extensive product portfolio. Upon joining the company, my biggest challenge was to break the centuries old traditions of Ayurveda practice, with a seemingly outrageous concept of Ayurveda Spas. But conviction, and confidence in my vision, pushed me through all opposition to victory. Always a positive thinker, I knew that I had to prove myself every step of the way, and I did not expect my views or ideas to be accepted overnight simply because I am a family member. I believed in myself, my vision and end goal, and I relentlessly kept working towards it.

Tell us an exciting or game-changing project you have executed during your career?

One of the biggest challenges I faced in my career was bringing to life my vision of diversifying the traditional face of Ayurveda to cater to current market needs in the leisure sector. Following my instincts and vision with my unerring focus on my objectives, I managed to convince my father to open the first Ayurveda Spa in the country at our Siddhalepa Ayurveda Hospital in Mount Lavinia. That was the most game-changing career move orchestrated and executed by me which has now evolved in to a successful Siddhalepa Spa chain with Spas in Germany and Eastern Europe. We also have a spa in our resort in Wadduwa, and also one in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo 07. We also operate a spa in our city hotel, Anarva, in Mount Lavinia. Furthermore, my work and leadership towards women’s empowerment is another game-changing project I am proud to have achieved. From the time I was first appointed as the Chairperson of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, I have steered a clear path for women’s entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka, even at a grassroot level.

Do you ever think – “Am I crazy?"

Well, I have had the experience of other people thinking I was crazy, which has also made me wonder if I truly am! Initiating the Spa chain was one such example. But seemingly crazy ideas at times result in brilliant success stories, like the spa story! You need the conviction and the sustenance to see it through.

How do you differentiate yourself?

I have always been a person who dares to think differently and is keen to constantly explore new ground. Yes, thinking out of the box, thinking innovatively and on an international scale, have made me achieve new heights. Along with possessing keen entrepreneurial skills, I am also very much a people’s person and a team player. I understand and appreciate the value of efficient communication. I am also a good decision maker. Once I make up my mind, there is no turning back.

Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?

My father! He was the Founder of the Hettigoda Group, and it was his vision, determination and sheer grit that took him along a very arduous journey. His only valuable possession at the time, was to hail from a family heritage in Ayurveda, and a secret recipe for a wonder balm called Siddhalepa. My father Deshabandu Victor Hettigoda, established, expanded and diversified the company into many health and personal care products. Together, with my brother Mr. Asoka Hettigoda, Managing Director, and other Executive Directors, including my sister Lankani Hettigoda, we have been able to rapidly expand the organization. My father has always been my mentor and my greatest source of inspiration. Similarly, my mother too was a very strong and independent lady, and she has always been an inspiration to me, and a personality to be emulated.

Your biggest regret?

As a Buddhist, my philosophy is to take life as a series of experiences. Definitely, some experiences could be termed bad or regretful, but that too is an experience for me to endure and learn from and move on. Hence, I prefer to think of these as experiences and not regrets.

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

It is not a personal fear, as I would like to think that I have now conquered all personal fears in our journey of life. I prefer to term it as a concern, a commitment our company has espoused; going green and protecting our environment. Our company is involved in a series of environment protection CSR activities from herbal gardens promoting a green culture in schools, to protecting the environment in our sacred and religious places of worship. I do worry about the continuity and sustainability of our activities. Whilst, our next generation will definitely benefit from our ongoing work on green initiatives, we must continue and develop our projects for better sustainability. We have to hand over this responsibility to our future generations to ensure the continuity of our green initiatives.

How do you keep generating new ideas for your business?

We are a family business and we have regular discussions and exchange of ideas on various aspects of our busines. Sometimes, I may contribute a new business idea to a line of business that I am not very involved in. Similarly, another member may come up with a brilliant idea for one of my line of businesses. Hence, it’s a collective and continuous generation of ideas.

Have you been harassed or discriminated against?

No, I am a very strong person and I have not let that happen to me.

Share with us a secret no-one else knows?

Well, I am not sure if you can classify it as a secret, but I have not had my ears pierced and I don’t wear earrings, not even clip-on earrings. Once again, it was my father’s influence. He decided not to pierce my ears declaring that it was my body and I should be given the choice to decide when I was old enough to do so. And I never did!

How do you want to be remembered one day?

As a woman entrepreneur who contributed effectively to the empowerment of women in Sri Lanka, especially in promoting women’s entrepreneurship across the island. I would also like to be remembered as a very kind, empathetic person.