MEET OUR FACULTY
Dr. Charm Rammandala
MBA, DBA
Managing Partner – IGlobal Sourcing
Charm is extensively experienced in all areas of supply chain management and marketing. He has over 25 years of both academic and industry experience in global sourcing with expertise in sustainable manufacturing and total quality management.
Charm started his career as a Trainee Merchandizer and went into become a Merchandising Manager at Ceylon Apparel Exports Ltd (2002-2005). He then joined French Connection UK & GAP Inc where he gained experience in the apparel retail sector.
Consequently, he joined Penguin Sportswear in 2008 as an account manager where he helped to introduce M&S UK as a strategic customer. Charm then joined George Sourcing Services as a Senior Merchandiser and later became the Lean Technologist for the South Asia region. In that position he was instrumental to introduce Lean Management to Walmart suppliers in the region to reduce waste and improve efficiency. Charm then joined VOmax Inc, A Boston, USA based Fashion Company, as the Head of Production and Global Sourcing, where he later got promoted as the Vice President of the company. He currently serves as the Managing Partner for iGlobal. Sourcing USA. Charm is a Freelance contributor to OnlineClothingstudy.com
Charm has completed his Bachelors in BA(Hons) Fashion Product Management from Middlesex University, UK. He has a Postgraduate diploma in Business Administration and an MBA specialized in Finance from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. In 2015 He followed a DBA in Global Sourcing and Leadership at California Intercontinental University and has also studied Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School.
Charm is a senior lecturer with over 10 years of experience in leading UK and Sri Lankan academic institutes. He has been teaching students from various social and cultural backgrounds, possessing constructive and effective teaching methods that promote a stimulating learning environment.
Dr. Charm is an aviation geek who likes to travel around the world. He also likes reading and watching Netflix in his spare time.
Dr. George I. H. Cooke
PhD (UoC), MA International Relations (UoC)
Initiator – AWARELOGUE Initiative
George I. H. Cooke is a diplomatic historian and a former Sri Lankan diplomat who served in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service for more than a decade. Whilst stationed at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris, he was also at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
George started his career as a Speech and Drama teacher and was a News Anchor and Radio presenter (1998-2007). He also served as the National Communication Officer of the World Health Organisation Sri Lanka Country Office (2006-2007).
George was recruited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he served for more than a decade with assignments in Colombo and at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris (2007-2017). He served as Deputy Director of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies for over three years (2018-2021). He is the Initiator of the AWARELOGUE Initiative, and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Colombo.
George pursued his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Open University of Sri Lanka, his Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies and completed his Master of Arts degree in International Relations (2006-2008) at the University of Colombo. His PhD in International Relations (2016-2021) is from the University of Colombo.
George is an alumnus of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations — Clingendael and was a Visiting Fellow at the Ubon Ratchathani University in Thailand. He has served as a visiting lecturer at the Sri Lanka Technological Campus, and the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute among other higher education institutions in Sri Lanka and overseas.
Diplomacy, foreign policy, regionalism and integration are his main areas of research. In his free time, he takes pleasure in cooking, reading and going for long walks along the beach, and has a keen interest in poetry.
Ahamed Almaaz
MSc LSCM (BCU-UK), ACMA, CGMA
Manager (Strategy & Growth)–Logicare Pvt Ltd
Almaaz is experienced and skilled in diverse roles such as Finance, Supply Chain and Marketing. Having worked in some of the top corporates in Sri Lanka he has years of expert knowledge in planning and managing highly complex organizational work processes.
Almaaz who started off at HSBC Securities Services in 2013 as a fund accountant later joined S-Lon Lanka as a Management trainee. After one year as a management trainee, Almaaz joined Noyon Lanka (MAS Holdings) where he served as an Executive Account Manager (2018-2019). He currently serves as Manager – Strategy & Growth for Logicare Pvt Ltd. one of the leading supply chain companies in the country.
He pursued his Bachelors in International Business and Finance from the University of the West of Scotland (UK). Almaaz then completed his Masters with a Distinction in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from BCU. He is also an Associate member of Chartered Management Accountants (ACMA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
Almaaz who has been a lecturer for 2 years has a keen interest in areas of research connected to supply chain management mainly in the agricultural industry.
He is a huge fan of football and enjoys spending his free time hanging around and having a good time with his friends.
Andy Arendtz
Product Manager – Global Telecom Solutions Virtusa Corporation
Andy has over 15 years of global experience predominantly in the IT industry across product management, business development, and business operations. He has hands- on experience working in numerous geographies and challenging multi-cultural environments delivering strategic growth objectives.
Currently, Andy is part of Virtusa’s Global Telecom Solutions team – an innovation function responsible for solving complex business challenges using cutting-edge and NextGen technologies.
Andy holds an International MBA from Birmingham City University with a distinction and has completed certifications in Digital Product Management from the University of Virginia.
Further, Andy received certification for Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania and is a lecturer specializing in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He has been working as a visiting lecturer at NEXT Campus since 2019.
He enjoys spending his free time cycling, traveling, reading, and has a keen interest in photography, and archaeology.
Ashiq Lafir
LLB (UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO), MBA (UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO), CIM, LIMA
Chief Executive Officer, Noyon Lanka (Pvt) Ltd
Ashiq brings over 20 years of experience leading strategic teams and business units in the Apparel and Textile industry, both locally and internationally, and a proven track record in creating and executing organizational strategy to the table. He is forward-thinking and enterprising in meeting expected demand with real-time and strategic recommendations, whilst cultivating and leveraging relationships that lead to extended engagements and business opportunities.
He showcases a prominent leadership with his presence at MAS Active Linea Intimo in the capacity of a Manager, MAS Active Trading as a Deputy General Manager from 2008 — 2013, Director — Strategic Development from 2013 — 2016, Director — MAS Holdings from 2017, and he is now engaged in developing, implementing and transforming the overall business strategy at the business unit of Noyon Lanka by leading, directing and motivating the team whilst managing resources in order to achieve organizational goals in an effective and profitable manner, in the capacity of Chief Executive Officer.
The above mentioned qualities of his are a byproduct of his academic qualifications that he has gained from University of Colombo, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, as well as Chartered Institute of Marketing. He has successfully completed both his LLB and MBA at University of Colombo and fully qualified at Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, as well as Chartered Institute of Marketing.
When he is not busy with the lectures or other professional activities, he loves playing badminton and watching multi-genre TV series.
Banura Sooriyapperuma
INTERNATIONAL MBA (BCU-UK), CIM
Director / Chief Executive Officer — Theewra Worldwide
Banura is an experienced Marketer with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. With the best combination of knowledge of Growth Strategy and Srand Management coupled with skills in Communication Strategy, Deployment, Market Research, and Digital, Banura has added significant value to prominent organizations such as Ocean Lanka, Wichy Plantations, Logicare, Nations Trust Bank, Pernod Ricard, Encare, Virtusa, DIMO, CA Sri Lanka, CBL, Toyota Sri Lanka, Audi Sri Lanka, as well as Akbar Brothers. And, we, NEXT Campus are extremely lucky to be in his portfolio as a strategic partner.
Banura has been an irreplaceable asset at Hatton National Bank, handling a v•ariety of duties related to credit operations that include credit data and financial statements analysis, risk management, payment plans recommendation, clearing operations, credit card operations and many more. Not limiting his role at HNB for credit operations, he has also been involved in developing omnichannel marketing & communication strategies for Digital Products in HNB, providing second level technical assistance for the Network & Omni Channel Contact Center with related to Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Finacle alerts, HNB App, HNB Appy & HNB Fit products UAT testing for new Digital products and troubleshooting.
Banura’s academic background is composed with CIM — specializing Digital Strategy and he has successfully gained his International MBA qualification at Birmingham City University. He has also gained the titles for Competent Communicator, as well as Competent Leader at Toastmaster International.
When not reachable via phone, it is safe to assume that he is either exploring a shipwreck or playing a badminton tournament. Banura is a PADI certified diver, a commercial photographer and his website looks cool! Check it out!
Chamath D. Nandasena
MBA, BSc.CIS, MBCS, FIMS
Founder & Principal Consultant — OTONOX, Sri Lanka
Chamath brings over 2o years of experience in Digital Transformation, Supply Chain Management, Process Improvement, Program Management, Account Management, Operations Management and Project Management in the Manufacturing, Telecommunications & Technology industries in Sri Lanka, South Asia & South East Asia. He currently consults & implements Digital Transformation, Supply Chain Management & Process Improvement strategies and solutions.
His last assignment has been with FastReact (UK) and was mainly responsible for the successful and timely delivery of projects in the South Asia region, primarily in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Chamath has been involved in various non-standard and innovative projects, including textiles, printing and embellishment supply chain & planning projects which have provided him with a wide knowledge base. Prior to FastReact, Chamath was the Country Manager for Emerson Network Power in Sri Lanka, a fortune soo company headquartered in the US, responsible for Emerson’s growth and stability in the Precision Cooling, Industrial Power Solutions, Datacenter Solutions and Telecommunications space.
Chamath pursued his Bachelors in Computing & Information Systems from the University of London. He also completed his MBA at the University of Southern Queensland. He is also a Full Member of the Institute of Management Specialist (FIMS) and a Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS).
Chamath has previously been with the Master’s Programme Lecturer faculty at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL).During his spare time, he likes to engage in reading, knowledge building, travelling, swimming and cooking. He is also an ardent music lover and movie buff.
Crystal Nathan
MBA (Bangalore University)
Strategic Curator — Pepper Cube Consultants
Crystal has more than two decades of experience as a behavioural researcher who understands consumers across diverse cultures and countries. She has dealt with a broad range of categories and has conducted more than 5000 strategic workshops across America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Her areas of expertise include Culture and Cognitive Sciences and she has provided insights on branding and marketing strategies for various local and international brands.
Crystal started her career in 1997 at Quantum Market Research Limited. She then moved to The Nielsen Company working as an Account Manager, Research Director and was subsequently promoted as Global Head of Qualitative Research looking after teams and clients across 100+ markets spanning Asia, Europe, US and Africa based out of Australia and then Singapore. On her return to Sri Lanka, she joined PepperCube Consultants, a boutique research consultancy firm as their Strategic Curator.
Crystal completed her Bachelors in Psychology, English Literature and Journalism and her MBA in Marketing from the University of Bangalore, India. Her areas of research interests include Psychographics and Segmentation, Semiotics, Branding and Decision Making.
Crystal is an avid cyclist and a foodie. She has a penchant for burning cakes and making up lyrics. Her constant belief in life is that it is not the destination but the journey that matters!
Chinthaka Mahesh
MBA (BCU-UK), CIM
Head of Operations/COO – Pizza Hut & Tacobell Sri Lanka, Pizza Hut & KFC Maldives
Chinthaka has a demonstrated history of working with leading multinationals in the food & beverages industry. He is skilled in marketing management, Negotiation, Market Planning, Business Planning, Distribution, Marketing Research, Trade Marketing and Sales Operations.
At the beginning of his career Chinthaka worked as an Airport Service Agent at Sri Lankan Airlines. In 2006 he joined Freight Links International as an Exports Marketing Executive. Afterwards he joined British American Tobacco where he worked for more than 7 years. Chinthaka then joined Stassen Exports in 2016 as a Business Development manager. He then held the position of Head of sales during the last 11 months of his 3 years at Heineken Lanka. At present he serves as the Head of Operations/COO for Pizza Hut & Tacobell Sri Lanka and Pizza Hut & KFC Maldives.
Chinthaka has achieved a National Diploma in Training and Human Resource Development from CIPM and has completed CIM. He has also completed his MBA from the Birmingham City University in 2019.
Chinthaka has been a visiting lecturer at Charted Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka and NEXT Campus for almost 3 years. His areas of research interests consist of contemporary leadership, coaching and mentoring.
Chinthaka is a historian, a traveler and a photographer. He loves traveling around the country and exploring beautiful places. He maintains an official Facebook travel photography page named ‘Yamin Gaman’.
EMC (INSEAD) MBA Dip.M (UK), FCIM (UK)
Chairman — NEXT Campus
Director — PepperCube Consultants
Dusty was the former Managing Director of Heineken Lanka from 2011 to 2021. He is a corporate trainer, speaker at forums and a lecturer for master’s programs specializing in strategy, leadership, and change since 2001.
Dusty has over 25 years of industry experience with leading multinational companies, in diverse sectors, in different functions and leadership levels. He started his career in the pharmaceutical industry (1991-1995) and moved to Caterpillar marketing services (1996-1998).
He then moved into brand management in FMCG (1999) before taking a research role at British American Tobacco (BAT) PLC Colombo. He was promoted as head of brands at BAT (2000-05) and moved as head of marketing at Coca-Cola Sri Lanka (2006-11). Finally, he was managing director at Heineken Lanka from 2011 to 2021.
Dusty completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK and became a Fellow Member and a Charted Marketer. He completed his MBA in 2002. Dusty is the first Sri Lankan to be selected and graduate (2017-19) from the ‘Executive Masters for Coaching & Consulting for Change (EMC)’ at INSEAD Campus. Currently he is reading for his doctorate.
Dusty has been trained in the University of Pretoria in Johannesburg, INSEAD Campus in Fontainebleau and Harvard Business School in Boston on leadership and strategic management. His areas of research interests revolve around managing change both at individual and corporate level with a particular focus on digital transformation, CEO succession and transition.
In his free time, he enjoys teaching, cycling, and travelling to new destinations. He is the founder of the “Life after School Foundation” dedicated for career guidance and shaping future talent for the corporate sector.
MBA (USJP), MA in IR (UOC)
Founder/CEO — DH3 Solutions Pvt Ltd
Founder/CEO — Silverleap Technology Pvt Ltd
Dhushy Thillaivasan is a multiple-award-winning technology entrepreneur with over
25 years of industry experience in the IT sector. As a serial entrepreneur he has set up multiple businesses in the domains of Digital Advertising, Digital Payments and Digital Enablement.
In the beginning of his career, he worked at Golden Key Software Solutions as an Analyst/Programmer and later on as Manager – Research and Development (1994-2002). In 2003 he Co-founded zMessenger a multiple award-winning Digital Experience Agency. Later he was the Chief-Apturion and Co-founder of Apturion Solutions (2005-2010). Dhushy then worked as General Manager at Ambiq Technology (2010-2015) and was a Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Orik Payment Solutions (2012-2019). Today he is the Founder and CEO of Silverleap Technology since 2014 and DH3 Solutions since 2017.
Dhushy holds an MBA from University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP), MA in International Relations from University of Colombo (UoC) and BSc in Management Information Systems from the University College of Dublin. He is also currently reading for his DBA.
Dhushy has been a lecturer for 4 years since 2017. His decades of entrepreneurial experience in the Technology sector coupled with sound academic background brings great insights and knowledge to class. His areas of research interests include Digital Advertising and Digital Payments.
As a die-hard adventure seeker, Dhushy enjoys activities such as mountain biking, cycling and diving. He is a diver with a PADI license and also a licensed Coxswain. Having represented Sri Lanka in Archery he also loves reading non-fiction stories. Inspired by the thirst for knowledge, you will always find him in a setting that will helphim learn and grow.
Elangovan Karthik
MBA (PIM), FCIM (UK), FSLIM, CGMA, NDHRM
Director/ Chief Emergent Business Officer — CDB Finance PLC
Karthik is a dynamic business professional with over 20 years of experience in the ICT, Energy and banking & finance industries.
He is an individual carrying broad retail marketing & business development experience with the ability and skills to develop businesses with creative and innovative solutions.
Karthik has worked for various industries and organizations in Sri Lanka. In 2000 he joined BAM Information Technology as a Marketing Executive after which he worked as an Assistant Manager Business Development at Gateway Centre for Information Technology. Karthik then joined CDB as management Trainee & climbed through the career ladder becoming a Senior DGM. In 2015 he was appointed as the CEO/Executive Director at Unisons Capital Leasing Ltd (fully owned subsidiary of CDB) and currently the Group Director/Chief Emergent Business Officer. He presides over the emergent technology and platform business of the company.
Karthik is a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing of the United Kingdom (FCIM), Fellow Member of the Srilanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), and Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Marketing Malaysia. He is also a certified Global Management Accountant (CIMA) and has completed his MBA at the Postgraduate Institute of Management. Karthik has also studied Disruptive innovation at Harvard business school and Executive education, Social Entrepreneurship at WHU, Otto Beisheim School of management in Germany. He is a Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors and JASTECA (Japan Sri Lanka technical and cultural Association). He is an Accredited Professional Business Coach by International Coaching Federation of USA.
His areas of interests in terms of research include Investment Portfolio strategies, and Tech Startup challenges and emerging clean tech. Driven by his Mission in life, “Doing well by doing Good” he has embarked on sharing his skills as a fulfillment of his life.
In his past time, Karthik enjoys swimming and yoga and he is an avid reader of indigenous Ayurveda sciences.
Firdouse Ghouse
MSc LSCM
Category Manager Sourcing – Dialog Axiata PLC
Firdouse is an individual with over 20 years of experience in the Telecommunication Industry (Credit Management, Billing Operations, Device Management, Fixed Broadband) and in Pay-TV industry.
Starting off the early years of his career as a Quality Controller & System Supervisor at RR Donnelley (1995 to 1999) he then moved to Dialog Axiata in 1999. At Dialog he started out in Billing Operations & Credit Management and then moved on to the Dialog Television Billing Division. From 2010 to 2014 he was in Device Management and then as a Category Manager. Presently he is attached to Group Supply Chain Management overlooking Sourcing for Dialog Mobile (SIM cards and Trading Devices) Dialog Enterprise Solutions, Dialog Broadband & Dialog TV Customer Premises Equipment and General Procurements.
Firdouse is an Associate Member of the “Institute of Supply and Materials Management of Sri Lanka”. He has completed his MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Birmingham City University and also his Advanced Diploma in Business Management at London Business School Sri Lanka. Firdouse also has followed Shipping, Air Cargo & Containerization at the institute of Supply and MaterialsManagement.
Firdouse has been a lecturer for Supply Chain & Logistics and Business Administration for more than 2 years. His areas of research interest are Logistics and Supply chain. Further he is engaged as a motivational speaker and a trainer on general etiquettes.
In his free time, Firdouse likes to watch movies and also likes to travel.
Gayani De Alwis
MBA (PIM—SriJ), MSc (Reading), CSCM (ISCEA USA), FISMM, FCILT
Non-Executive Independent Director, Singer Sri Lanka PLC Non-Executive Director, Logicare Pvt LTD
Gayani is a leading Supply Chain Professional. She was the former Director, Customer Service and Management Committee member of Unilever Sri Lanka LTD responsible for Supply Chain. She was the first female Director for Supply Chain from South Asia in Unilever. Gayani holds a MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) of University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka and a MSc in Food Process Engineering from University of Reading, UK.
Gayani is the Global Chairperson of WiLAT and prior to that was the Global Vice Chairperson of WiLAT responsible for South Asia. She is the Immediate Past President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) SL and Founding Chairperson and Advisor of Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT) Sri Lanka. She is the only Fellow of CILT and Institute of Supply and Materials Management (ISMM) in the country. She is a Board member of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), CSR Lanka Ltd, and a Council member of the Open University of Sri Lanka. Currently she is a member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) and is a founding Committee member of Women Directors Forum (WDF) of SLID.
A strong advocate of women empowerment, she actively promotes supply chain management as a lucrative career choice post secondary education and has received many awards and accolades for her career achievements. She is a Non-Executive independent Director of Singer Sri Lanka PLC and a Director of Logicare Pvt LTD and a Consultant to the World Bank, ADB and many leading blue chip companies and a visiting faculty member for postgraduate programs in many local and foreign universities.
In her free time, Gayani enjoys travelling, gardening, reading and watching movies.
Hamza Alibhoy
ACMA/CGMA
Senior Manager Business Development -McLarens Group Management Limited
Hamza holds over 7 years of experience in developing and implementing growth strategies in several industries like advertising, shipping, petroleum, logistics and trading. He has a wide range of knowledge and experience in the areas of Finance, Sales, Marketing, Technology and Events. He has worked in developing partnerships with global companies include Fortune500 brands. Hamza is also experienced in process enhancements. He is CIMA qualified and pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration. He currently serves as Senior Manager Business Development at McLarens Group in Sri Lanka and a member of the core organizing team of TEDxColombo events.
Hamza started his career in digital marketing and advertising industry with experience at Leo Burnett Group, TA-Consulting and Sky Alliances (Pvt) Ltd. He then joined McLarens Group of Companies as a Management Trainee in 2016 and progressed over the years to Senior Executive, Manager and Senior Manager positions over a short period of time within the Group.
Hamza has been a part of the leading team for several projects including: ISO 9001 /22000 implementation, ERP implementations, mergers, international expansions and more. He has
also been the Project Co-Curator of TEDxColombo and Co Organizer of
TEDxYouth@Colombo for over 5 years. He was also appointed as the Brand Ambassador -Sri Lanka for Truecaller, an international mobile technology company. Back in 2012, he has held the position of Under Secretary General – Sri Lanka Model United Nations.
He is a CrossFit athlete, event planner, explorer, foodie and an idea generator who is passionate about Health and Fitness, Travel, Adventure, Technology and Photography. Beware, Hamza has a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate!
Irfan Ahamed
MBA (MGU), CIM
Chief Digital Officer- EFL Global Founder – Innovation Quotient
Irfan is an individual with experience across industries such as Branding and Communications, Telecommunications, Digital services and Manufacturing. He has worked for organizations such as JWT, Dialog Axiata and MAS Holdings.
In the early years of his career, Irfan was an Account Manager at Grant McCann Ericson. In 2002 he joined MAS as a Merchandiser and later on he joined JWT as an Account Manager. Irfan served as an Associate Vice President during the last two years of the 7 years he spent at JWT.
Afterwards he was Head – Brands and Group Marketing Communications at Dialog Axiata. He was then the Director Insight and Innovation at MAS Bodyline. Irfan then quit the corporate career in 2014 to pursue his entrepreneurial interest. He is now the Chief Digital Officer at EFL Global and the Founder of Innovation Quotient.
Having completed the MBA Business Administration & Management from Mahatma Gandhi University and CIM (1999 to 2001) he has also made many publications such as the Ramblings of a Maverick.
Irfan has been a lecturer for almost 13 years since 2008. His area of interest in terms of research is in Digital transformation.
Jayamal Jayaweera
MBA (PIM-USJ), MBCS CITP, CSCM(ISCEA), CMILT
Consultant / Lecturer in Supply Chain
Jayamal, also known as JJ, has over 25 years work experience in global organisations. He held senior positions in both IT and Supply Chain spheres. As a Business Project Lead, he has successfully implemented major ERP implementation projects both locally and internationally.
Starting his career, at Coats Thread Exports as a Systems Manager/ Local Systems Coordinator he moved up the ladder as IT manager and then as Head of Supply Chain. Ultimately, he was the Director Supply chain and IT at Coats Thread Exports.
After working for almost 25 years at Coats Thread Exports, he moved on to consultancy which is his current profession. In the meantime, he also works as a digital audio recording engineer.
JJ has an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (PIM – USJ), and has followed an academic course in Strategic IT Planning at the National University of Singapore. In addition, he is also a Certified Information Technology Professional of the British Computer Society (MBCS CITP). Furthermore, he is a Certified Supply Chain Manager (CSCM), a corporate member of the Institute of Supply and Materials Management (ISMM) and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics & Transport (CMILT).
JJ who has a PGCert Higher Education / Fellowship of the HEA (SFHEA) from the Birmingham City University has been a lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. His areas of research interests consist of Supply Chain Trends of the future, Technology as an enabler for Supply Chains and Future of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems.
JJ likes spending his free time in reading about spheres of philosophy and psychology which is a main subject of interest to him. He also loves music and creates his original music compositions and recordings in his home recording studio. He is also a renownedpianist who has performed for audiences both locally and internationally.
Manik Senanayake
MBA (UK), CIM
Founder – SALESTARGET Sales Academy Founder – LIFEWORKS & CHOICE
Manik is a Professional Marketer and a Brand Specialist who has experience in both local and overseas markets including Australia, USA, Hong-Kong and India. He is also a Life Coach, Corporate Trainer, NLP consultant, Consultant – Sports Psychology and Career Counselor.
Manik has extensive experience in multiple industries including financial and banking, managing some of the world’s top financial brands at HSBC, American Express etc. He also has 28 years of experience in working for Global MNC’s such as Vodafone, ING and Optus. In the early years of his career, he was a Marketing Executive at Hayleys after which he joined Laughs as Head of Marketing & Consumer Strategy. In 2001 he joined Nestle as a Senior Brand Manager — Milo. Manik then joined Reckitt Benckiser as a Senior Brand Manager and was later Head of Brand Category. He then worked in the field of marketing at NTB and HSBC. After which he moved to Australia where he served at Optus in acquisition and retention and Vodafone as a Brand Consultant. Also, Manik was a Senior Marketing Lead at ING Direct, Australia (2008-2010). He was also Executive & Leadership coach at C4 Leadership Solutions. He is now the Founder of SALESTARGET Sales Academy and LIFEWORKS & CHOICE.
Manik has followed Accounting and Business Management (CIMA) and a Professional Diploma in Marketing (CIM). Moreover, he possesses an MBA from the University of Lincoln (UK) and Bachelors of Science (BSc. in Economics) Oklahoma State University USA. He also has a Diploma in Sports Psychology and a Yoga Master Certification. He is also a Certified NLP Practitioner, Certified Home Sustainability Assessor and a Certified Interpreter.
Manik has been a lecturer for almost 3 years at different institutes such as ACCA, Sri Lanka Foundation Int (SLF) and NEXT Campus. His areas of interests in research are Data Analytics and New Product Development.
In his spare time, he likes to watch sports and movies and also enjoys running and writing.
Mihiri Pandithage
MBA(UK), CIM, CIMA
Head of Business and Brand Development-Montlush.
Mihiri who has professional experience in many different areas has gained exposure to luxury brands in both local and international markets. Her experience spans across a number of relayed areas, such as Marketing, Branding, Communication, Public Relations, Promotion Handling, Key Account Management, Supplier Relations, Business Development, Business Analyzing and Training.
Starting the early years of her career as a Flight Attendant at Sri Lankan Airlines, Mihiri then joined Unilever as a Beauty Advisor. In 2010 she joined Oriflame Lanka as an Area Sales Manager after which she joined Flemingo Duty Free as a Category Manager- Perfume & Cosmetics. After almost 5 years at Flemingo she served as Manager Sales, Training and Merchandising at Phoenix Duty Free Services. Later Mihiri was a Corporate Trainer and Personal Grooming Consultant at Rainbow Institute. She is currently the Head of Business and Brand Development at Montlush.
Mihiri achieved a world price for the Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and completed the Intermediary level in CIMA. She has also achieved an MBA from Birmingham City University.
She has been a lecturer for almost 2 years and her areas of research interest include understanding the growth of the global, organic and natural skin care industries and how this can be applied in the Sri Lankan context to make a better global representation.
Mihiri cares a lot about Children, Education, Environment, Health, and Social Services. In her free time, Mihiri likes to spend time baking and painting.
Natasha Gooneratne
MA International law & Human Rights, MA Political Science
Public Engagement Specialist
Natasha Gooneratne is a specialist in Public Diplomacy & Strategic Communications. She is a Former Second Secretary to the Sri Lankan Permanent Mission to the UN, an Analyst for Geopolitical Relations, a creative in the Ad Industry and a former Fixer for the New York Times and Swedish Public Media (SVT).
She received a Master’s in Political Science with a major in Global Politics from Ateneo de Manila University Philippines and a Masters in International Law & Human Rights from the UN Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, where she was valedictorian for the class of 2015. Her Bachelor’s Degree was from the University of Colombo. Natasha was part of the eighth cohort of the Asian Peace-builders Scholarship of the Nippon Foundation, Japan.
For someone that lives a relatively serious work-life, Natasha is a self-professed ‘occasional’ long distance runner.
Pasindu Abeysundera
MBA, MSc Computer Science
IT Infrastructure and Operations Senior Manager – Michelin
Pasindu Abeysundera has over 15 years of experience in IT Management including 10 years of meticulous project management experience. He also has experience in managing offshore teams and virtual teams for independent software vendor projects.
His experience in project management spreads across multiple domains such as SAP, Manufacturing, Fashion & Lifestyle industries, Supply Chain, Telecommunication, Document Management, ERP Implementation, Defense Applications, Health Care Applications and Mobile Application Development. Pasindu, who served as an IT manager at Century 21 and Palm Group in 2005 later joined TUBITAK as Senior Project Manager. Afterwards, he played the role of a Project manager / program manager at Virtusa (2012-2015) and Attune (2015-2018). Pasindu currently serves as an IT Infrastructure and Operations Senior Manager for Michelin.
Having completed his MSc in Computer Science from I§ik Universitesi and an MBA from George Washington University he has strong IT prowess. Pasindu also has a Bachelors in Computer Engineering from Girne American University. Moreover, he is a certified Scrum Master and a certified SAFe 5 Agilist. He has received certifications in IT Risk Management, Microsoft Project Essentials, Project Management Applications & Scheduling and Cost Control form the George Washington University, USA.
Coupled with years of international experience handling IT-related projects for some of the top corporates, he brings in great global insight to class. His research interests includes Digital Transformation, IT organizational leadership, Process Automation and Project Management.
Pasindu is a person who’ s enthusiastic about technology and he usually occupies his spare time with reading to keep appraised of the latest trends in the industry. He is also fond of swimming and travelling.
Prasad Jayasekera
MEd (Candidate/Canada), MBA (UK), BBA (USA), CIM, SLIM Employer Relations Specialist, Seneca College, Toronto, ON Partial-load Faculty, Conestoga College, Waterloo, ON
Prasad possesses extensive experience working with and for Federal (Canadian), Provincial (Ontario) and Regional Government Organizations in roles assisting in labor market initiatives, adult learning, Co-Op/Work Integrated Learning (WIL), trades training and creating pathways for internationally educated professionals, and newcomers to Ontario.
In the latter part of 2010, Prasad moved to Canada and started working as a Wireless Manager & District Team Lead with Walmart Canada. He then took up a role with the YMCA of Greater Toronto (York Region) in 2016 and worked as a Case Manager until 2020 where he then moved to the Government of Canada and worked on the Canada Summer Jobs project connecting youth to small business owners during the pandemic. At present, Prasad is working at Seneca College in Toronto and teaches at Conestoga College in Waterloo, ON.
Prasad possesses a Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing from SLIM and CIM with Sri Lankan Prizes in CIM and SLIM including the SLIM Gold Medal in 2010. He has completed his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Northwood University (USA) and his MBA from Birmingham City University (UK). He also holds a Certificate in Adult Education from Seneca College, Toronto and is a Certified Soft Skills Facilitator. Prasad is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Leadership in Learning from the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada and the PMP designation.
Prasad’s research interests are Training and Development, Outcome-based Higher Education, Organizational Psychology and Employee Motivation.
Ramesh Chitrasiri
BSc (Hons) Acc/Fin, ACMA, CGMA, ACIM, PMP, MBA
Finance Director – Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC
Ramesh Chitrasiri comes with over 15 years of experience in the fields of Operational Finance, Strategic Finance and Corporate Planning working for top corporates covering a multitude of sectors such as diversified holdings, plantations, apparel, mobility and retail.
Ramesh started off his teaching career in2oo5 at the Royal Institute of Colombo before commencing his corporate career at Goodhope Asia Holdings (subsidiary of Carson Cumberbatch PLC) as a Management Trainee.
Later he went on to hold multiple positions and also had the opportunity to work for the company’s overseas operations in Indonesia, Malaysia and India. Subsequently Ramesh joined John Keells Holdings Plc as the Manager Corporate Finance and Strategy where he was involved in numerous project feasibilities across multiple sectors before joining Brandix as a Financial Controller. He then joined Hemas Holdings PLC where he held the position of Finance Director for the Mobility Sector in addition to Group’s Corporate Finance Unit. Ramesh is currently serving as the Finance Director of Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC.
Ramesh completed his BSc in Accounting and Finance from the University of London and holds a Master of Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School, Scotland.He is an Associate member of both CIMA—UK and CIM—UK in addition to being a Certified Project Management Professional of the Project Management Institute of USA.
Ramesh brings both academic and industry knowledge to class making it an insightful engagement with students. His area of research interest is in the field of finance business partnering.
In his spare time, Ramesh enjoys yoga, cycling, gardening and reading about recent developments in the field of law.
Ruwandi Perera
MBA, FHEA, ACIM
Freelance Writer/Journalist
Ruwandi is an individual who loves innovative and creative thinking and is driven to learn something new every day. With experience at top-notch corporates such as Unilever, John Keells and Aitken Spence, she has also worked as a Business Journalist for Media Services.
Starting her career as a Marketing Intern at Unilever, she later joined JKCS as a Marketing Executive. After working for 2 years at JKCS she joined Aitken Spence as Assistant Manager Pre-Sales. In 2016 she joined Media Services (publishers of LMD) as a Business Journalist. Ruwandi then worked as Manager Vitality at AIA. She is currently self-employed as a writer for Media Services, freelance creative writer and lecturer.
Ruwandi Perera is an FHEA, PGCert Higher Education qualified lecturer with an International MBA from Birmingham City University and a BBA (special) from the University of Colombo. She is an Associate Member of CIM (UK) and holds a Professional Qualification in Human Resource Management from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) (formerly, IPM Sri Lanka). She is currently reading for her PhD in adult education from London Metropolitan University.
Ruwandi who has been a lecturer for almost 13 years, brings an unmatched exuberance to class. She specializes in Activity Based Teaching and you will often find her class on their toes engaged in hands-on learning! She is interested in areas of research including unlearning, adult learning, individual learning, holistic learning and female career progression.
Apart from work and teaching, she busies herself with a variety of extracurricular activities and events which include singing, theatre, and playing the piano and guitar whenever the need calls for it. She has a penchant for traveling and adventure and is a passionate advocate in protecting the planet and saving wildlife especially whales and elephants.
Saminda Deshapriya
MBA, MSc LSCM, CILT(UK), MASCM, MABE, MCIM
Director/ CEO – Logicare Pvt Ltd
COO – Ceylon Tea Brokers
Saminda Deshapriya has over 15 years of industry experience in leading companies in different functions and leadership levels with experience in lecturing and corporate training. His main areas of expertise lie in Logistics & Supply Chain Management / Third-Party Logistics (3PL), Digital Transformation & Change Management, and Project Management.
He spent 15 years of his career working at Ceylon Tea Brokers where he started off as an executive in 2006. He then was promoted as Manager operations in 2009 and after 5 years he was the General Manager at Ceylon Tea Brokers. In the year 2016 Saminda was the Executive Director at Ceylon Tea Brokers. Currently he serves as the CEO for Logicare Pvt Ltd, a fully-fledged logistics and supply chain management conglomerate while heading the logistics operation as Chief Operating Officer at Ceylon Tea Brokers PLC.
Saminda has completed his Masters in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Birmingham City University and MBA from the Australian Institute of Business. He also has a Diploma in Management from PIM and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport. He is also a member of the Association for Supply Chain Management, the Association of Business Executives and CIM.
His real-world experience in managing top level Supply Chains brings a refreshing discussion-based learning engagement with students. He is a lecturer with over 2 years of experience and enjoys sharing his knowledge with students while remaining updated on the latest advances in the logistics industry.
In his free time, he loves watching movies and cricket matches. Saminda is an advocate of hard work and commitment and expects nothing less from everyone around him. Also, Saminda is truly passionate about changing the traditional education system in Sri Lanka.
Shehan Perera
MSc in Supply Chain & Logistics (BCU-UK), CPM (Asia Marketing Federation, Japan), MBA (CMU-UK), ACIM-CIMA, MACS-ACSA, IAB-IABK-UK)
Director Sales & Marketing -TEXION
Textiles International Holdings – Hong Kong/ China
Adept and affable Senior Sales, Marketing, Merchandizing, Buying Management professional with 18+ years expertise in yield strategies, formulating, implementing sales, marketing planning, meeting budgets, forecasting, market mix focus & pricing. To top that, he has been responsible for achieving USD 30Mn top-line sales target for the 1st time in the history of MAS – Noyon. He has also been a significant asset to Brandix for acquiring “Mayfair” Category valuing up to USD 10Mn from Victoria’s Secret Sleepwear Division from a well set-off Hong Kong Region, devising a special washing plant, trained/ developed Brandix Awissawella plant employees, who were handling denim’s, cargo pants, and fabrics in order to cater this category. Let’s talk about more of his accomplishments down below!
He joins the professionals at MAS Shadowline as a Merchandiser from 2001 – 2005. Then he joins Brandix as a Senior Merchandizer, progresses to be Assistant Merchandizing Manager within the period of 2005 – 2009. Later on, Shehan joins Landmark Group – UAE as a Buyer. Landmark Group is the biggest value retail chain in entire GCC with A turnover of USD 2.5Bn. He joins Brandix Intimates Apparel as the Assistant Merchandizing
Manager (2010 – 2013), becomes the Merchandising Manager (2013 – 2014) and
progresses to be Business Manager (2014 – 2016). While at Brandix, Shehan has formulated/trained 4 outsourced manufacturing plants to ply adhoc orders. He has also maintained 100% on-time deliveries from 2013 to 2014 for the Sleepwear category, which also is an unconquered record till date at Brandix! During his tenure, he has been responsible for acquiring new plants in Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa to cater larger volumes for H&M brand & trained/ developed the management to gear up for new production schedules.
He then joins Noyon Lanka as the Deputy General Manager Sales & Marketing (2016 -2017) and he is accountable for USD 26Mn turnover of the organization and reinforcing key markets such as USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain & Asian Markets encompassing 42 client base.
Since 2017, he provides professional insight at TEXION Textiles International Holdings -Hong Kong/ China as Director (Sales & Marketing). He has fortified the key lace markets in USA, UK, France, Italy & Spain and contrived new business opportunities in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh & Indonesia.
He boasts an academic background just as impressive as his career progression. In 2015, he completed his MBA at Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. He is also a Certified Professional Marketer (CPM – Asia), Asia Marketing Federation, Japan. In 2018, he successfully completed the MSc in Supply Chain & Logistics, Birmingham City University, UK. He is also a member (ACIM) of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK, Australian Computer Society, Australia (MACS) as well as the International Association of Book Keepers – UK (IAB).
Shehan is an outdoor person who does couple of sports like archery and rifle shooting. He also goes camping, angling, fishing as his hobbies. Beside his professionalism in marketing, he is fond of researching about Artificial Intelligence, new technology and blockchain.
Tilak Rahulan
CIPP, MCIM & Chartered Marketer, PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt
Head of Procurement and Supply Chain – Dialog AXIATA
Tilak Rahulan has over 20 years of work experience and has held Leadership & General Management positions in local and multinational business organizations. He possesses multi-disciplinary competencies in the Telecommunication, Fashion, Manufacturing and Banking sectors.
Starting off his career at HSBC as a Banking Associate, he then joined Brandix where he worked for more than 5 years. At Brandix, he initially served as a management trainee in 2003, and later moved up the ladder to Manager-Process Improvement by 2005. Tilak then joined Dialog Axiata where he worked in several managerial roles. In 2014 he moved to Axiata Group Berhad (Malaysia) as Manager-Procurement Governance & Enablement. At present he is the Head of Procurement and Supply Chain at Dialog Axiata PLC.
Tilak is a Certified International Procurement Professional (CIPP) and a Project Management Professional (PMP). Moreover, he has followed an Executive Programme (Leadership in the digital age, Business management) at INSEAD. He also followed an Executive Programme in Design Thinking for Decision Makers at Asia School of Business. Tilak has also successfully completed the Six Sigma Black Belt Certification and the Postgraduate Diploma at CIM and today is a certified “Chartered Marketer”.
During his 5 years as a lecturer, Tilak has brought a wealth of international and local experience to class. As a lecturer, he always tries to share his experience in Sourcing, Procurement, and Supply Chain operations.
Tilak who is a hockey player from his younger days, still ensures to dedicate some time to the sport he loves most. He also likes to spend time at the beach and swim in the sea which, reminds him of his childhood ambition to be a sailor. Tilak loves to cook for his family and friends whenever he has leisure time.
Thilina Dassanayake
MSc LSCM (UK)
Founder- ILT Retail (Pvt) Ltd
Thilina has more than 20 years of experience in fashion retail, product development and brand building. He provides extensive experience in buying, product development designing, merchandising, planning, marketing, operations and Visual merchandising.
Thilina has hands on knowledge in fashion retail, supply chain, experience in fashion retail assortment planning and strategic alignment to disruptive market conditions. In the beginning of his career, he served as an Assistant Merchandising manager at Vision Apparels. He then joined Growth Lanka as a Development Merchant – NYPD GAP. Afterwards, he joined ODEL where he worked for more than
17 years and was in the forefront of building and nurturing LUVSL, Embark and the other private brands of ODEL since their inception. He started off as a buyer in 2004 and was the Head of Buying during the last 6 years at ODEL (2015- 2021).
At present, he is the Director at Stories and Concepts, Chairman at Two Elephants of Ceylon and Founder of ILT Retail.
Thilina has studied Fashion Retail at RMIT University Melbourne and also completed the MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Birmingham City University. He has received certifications in Collaborative Leadership, Emerging Leaders and Retail Merchandise Buying.
Thilina has been a lecturer for more than one year and has interests in areas of research related to product development.
During his free time, Thilina likes to design and develop products. Additionally, he is also a wildlife photography enthusiast.