GLOBAL CEO AWARDEE RAMYA WEERAKOON REFLECTS ON HER PATH TO SUCCESS

Ramya Weerakoon, Chairperson of Ramya Holdings Pvt. Ltd. and a woman entrepreneur, is certainly not an unfamiliar name in Sri Lanka. In recognition of her strides in the business landscape, she was among the ten who were awarded the Global CEO Top Businesswomen Awards this year. To gain insight into her thoughts on the award and her journey in business, this newspaper reached out to Mrs. Weerakoon. Following are excerpts of the interview:

- By SAFRAH FAZAL

WHAT DOES THIS AWARD MEAN TO THE YOUNGER VERSION OF YOURSELF, THE ONE WHO FIRST STEPPED INTO THE WORLD OF BUSINESS?

This award serves as both an encouragement and a source of strength, motivating me to strive for even greater heights in business. It offers valuable recognition and support, reinforcing our presence in the business world. With this honor, I am empowered to expand further and take the business to the next level.

YOU'VE OFTEN SPOKEN AT LENGTH ABOUT THE TRAGEDIES OF YOUR LIFE.CAN WE SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT HOW IT LED TO YOUR ENTRY INTO BUSINESS?

My entrance into the business world was brought on by the tragic death of my husband, Major Noel Weerakoon, during the insurgence in 1971. I was with a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and was carrying my second child at the time. Naturally, I was shocked and helpless, and this was the beginning of my life as what I am today.

While living in Colombo, where my late husband was stationed, I began experimenting with batik purely out of pleasure. I had no formal knowledge of marketing or managing labour, but I learned everything hands-on. My requirements after my husband's death were very simple. I wanted to have a house of my own to live in and enough money to educate my children.

The decision I made was to turn my hobby of batik into a fully-fledged business. The pension I had from my husband was my capital.

Eventually, I set up a workshop in Kurunegala at my parental home property and supplied batik garments to the local market. In 1976, I took an even bolder step and participated in a trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany, to create export opportunities. It was my first exposure to the international market. From that point on, I attended trade fairs across Europe and by 1978, I diversified into exporting wooden handicrafts. I had the vision that batiks wouldn't be in fashion anymore.