Jithran Ekanayake Exploring new vistas Q: What led you to pursue a career in space synthetic biology? A: My primary academic interests while growing up were healthcare and education. While I was interested in space, I didn’t realise I could realistically engage in the field during my lifetime – until I moved to the US and was directly exposed to career pathways within the country’s space programme. During my third year at college, I worked hard to find a field of study that was sufficiently interdisciplinary to reconcile healthcare, education and space exploration. I came across a seminal paper about…
Author: LMD International
Dr. Chandi Jayawardena Opportunity knocks Q: What lessons have you learned from your diverse experience in different countries? A: I’ve learnt that each time I land in a country to work or complete an assignment, I should invest time to understand the ABCs of the community I’ll be serving or leading. My concept includes a quick analysis of attitudes and aspirations, beliefs and behaviour, and culture and customs. Thereafter, I focus on applying ‘PA & PR’ – my concept of a quick personality analysis for better public relations. Q: And what is the stiffest challenge you have faced in your…
Kalyani Rodrigo Back to basics Q: How would you describe your connection with Sri Lanka? A: I have a strong connection since Sri Lanka is where I was born and spent most of my life. The majority of my family and friends live in Sri Lanka so I visit at least once a year. Q: You visited Sri Lanka towards the end of last year… What were your three main takeaways? A: First of all, I had no trouble enjoying a good vacation during my last visit with my American partner. It was his first visit and he left the…
Shantha de Silva Laying the foundation Q: Could you summarise your experience in the hospitality sector? A: My hospitality journey began with InterContinental Hotels – one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. I went from earning merely AUS$ 5 (in today’s terms) a month to being responsible for a regional business unit generating an annual turnover of nearly one billion dollars. Today, I am pleased to be able to lead the hotel division of the Pro-invest Group, a global private equity real estate fund manager, positioned as the largest independent owner and operator of hotels in Australia. Q:…
Kanya D’Almeida The hunt for clarity Q: When did you first realise that you wanted to write for a living? A: In my opinion, all writers ‘write for a living’ – in the sense that it’s a way of interpreting life, understanding the living or imagining other ways to live. I never set out to write thinking it would pay the bills – it doesn’t! Even as a full-time journalist, I struggled; I freelanced and was always on the hunt for other work. I have realised that if I wanted fiction writing to be anything other than a hobby in…
WASHINGTON D.C. BUILDING BRIDGES Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe underscores the importance of engaging with fellow Sri Lankans living overseas Q: In brief, what are the current trade opportunities for Sri Lankan exporters in the United States? A: The US became Sri Lanka’s largest export destination over many years, accounting for more than 26 percent of its global exports last year and offering trade opportunities for many Sri Lankan products in the American market. There are opportunities for Sri Lankan garments, value-added rubber products (including tyres, gloves and other such products), precious and semiprecious stones, cinnamon and pepper, coconut-based products, tea, activated…
SRI LANKA BUSINESS COUNCIL – DUBAI PROMOTING BILATERAL TRADE Facilitating bilateral trade and networking opportunities – Muhammed Riza Q: In a nutshell, what is the mandate of the Sri Lanka Business Council in Dubai, which you serve as its incumbent chairman? A: Our mandate is to promote trade and tourism between Dubai and Sri Lanka while providing networking opportunities for members in a bid to expand their reach. Q: And the composition of the business council is…? A: The council comprises Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and senior professionals, as well as companies based in both Sri Lanka and the UAE with…
RIDING OUT THE ROUGH Dr. Sonali Jinadasa Tucker People will hang on since this isn’t Sri Lanka’s first rodeo Q: How do you perceive Sri Lanka today? A: Together with its supplementary and complementary businesses – such as hotels, restaurants and travel operators – tourism has progressed. The highways that connect various key towns and tourist destinations certainly add value to this. As long as workers are being paid a living wage, this is progress. Another sector showing progress is education. There are more international schools than I can remember, as well as organisations that have partnered with universities outside…
CREATIVE DESTRUCTION Dr. Ruchith Dissanayake Sri Lankans should never be complacent about the status quo Q: How do you perceive Sri Lanka as it is today? A: If this question was asked 50 years ago, most Sri Lankans would have said that the country has potential. Even today, many would say the same. How about 50 years from now? All countries have the potential for growth if they’re governed properly. Similarly, for Sri Lanka to achieve its full potential, there should be fundamental changes made to how the island is governed. I do feel that Sri Lankans are finally starting…
WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN Rashantha Devanesan Why the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – money aside Q: How do you perceive Sri Lanka today? A: I am very positive about Sri Lanka right now. If you compare it with what we went through about nine months ago, there’s been a quick reversal. My only concern is how sustainable this reversal might be. But in spite of rising prices and some other negative aspects, we seem to be heading in the right direction. CV IN A NUTSHELL Rashantha Devanesan runs a social enterprise (Kadambari Jewels) where she…