[caption id="attachment_146789" align="alignright" width="362"]
SLASSCOM Chairperson Sandra De Zoysa[/caption]
Sandra De Zoysa, the Group Chief Customer Officer of Dialog Axiata, winner of multiple global and local awards, a thought leader in customer experience management, with over three decades of industry experience in ICT, and now former Vice Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM), was appointed as Chairperson of SLASSCOM for 2021/22 at the ninth annual general meeting (AGM) held on 29 June 2021.
De Zoysa is the first female to hold this position, and because she has paved the way, she most certainly will not be the last, thus inspiring women and young girls all around the island to realise their potential and open their eyes to the opportunities that lie ahead, if only they put in the work to get to the top of their game.
SLASSCOM is the national chamber for the knowledge and innovation industry in Sri Lanka; acting as a catalyst of growth, it facilitates trade and business, propagates education and employment, encourages research and innovation, and influences the national policy framework to add value to the industry.
The Chamber has over 350 member companies with a 11,500-plus employees working within the sector, and according to De Zoysa, much like the foreign employment, tourism, garment, or tea industries, the IT/BPM industry is poised to be a leading industry in the future, well within the top three in the medium term, with potential to become the number one export revenue earner for our country.
Sharing her thoughts on where her career trajectory has taken her, De Zoysa commented that when she first joined the Board as the only female member at the time, way back when SLASSCOM was in its sapling stages, being chairperson one day wasn’t something she envisaged, as she was simply a passionate volunteer who saw the impact of the “collective good” a team of like-minded professionals can create through collaboration – she felt that SLASSCOM was the ideal platform for it.
However, being the longest-serving member of the Board, she has been the “only constant” in the leadership team over the last decade at SLASSCOM, as the past chairmen like to call her. De Zoysa shared that she has ways been incredibly passionate about this industry, and this being an entirely voluntary role, the reason why she has held out for so long is because she is drawn to the inert potential and the vibrant collaborative nature of the industry as well as the people in it, who strongly believe in what’s possible in order to help shape the future of not just our industry and businesses, but also of the future generations.
De Zoysa also shared that Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM industry is at the tipping point and ready for exponential growth because when it comes to tech, Sri Lankans have built a reputation for delivering quality, and as our national branding for the IT/BPM sector suggests, we embody “IOI or Island of Ingenuity” – an island nation driven by big ideas, creativity, and talent. She expressed that we have a great body of talent with the ability to produce high-end niche propositions in product engineering, services, as well as BPM work, paving the way for producing value arbitrage for their customers globally.
She provided that SLASSCOM’s vision for 2025 is to generate $ 5 billion in annual revenue generation, create a 200,000-strong highly skilled workforce, and establish 1,000 tech start-ups, and considering the changing nature of the landscape, particularly with the effects of the pandemic, she said it is quite likely that we may be seeing these goals realised a lot sooner than originally anticipated, despite the ongoing challenges faced. She added that they have several key strategic initiatives: global trade and investment, skills and capacity for a future-ready workforce, accelerators, and entrepreneurship which will facilitate the achievement of the said goals.
Also pointing out Sri Lanka’s unique situation as a coveted destination, as is evidenced by the French travel and tourism operator Club Med ranking Sri Lanka to be the second-best place to be for digital nomads in 2021, placed ahead of Singapore and several other countries, De Zoysa said that it is only a matter of time before our country hits the No. 1 spot, considering the ambitious plans that are underway by the Government of Sri Lanka, which includes world-class regional techno parks with plug-and-play facilities including 5G and high-speed fibre connectivity, and we would soon have a compelling proposition to offer to those who would like to live and work in one of the top holiday destinations.
She also added that in these audacious goals, she also hopes that female-led enterprises will make a significant contribution to the 1,000 start-ups aspiration and SLASSCOM. She said they hope to promote the successes of women in time to come.
Considering that De Zoysa is indeed a success story for the ages, we asked her if she ever felt her journey to the top was challenged due to her being a woman, to which she simply said that for years now, she has always been in this situation. She was the first female to join the mobile telco industry way back in 1989, and as she made her way up the ladder, this situation became familiar territory to her. However, she shared that she never had thought that, by virtue of being a woman, she was ever at a disadvantage, and said that perhaps if you think that way, that is when it becomes a challenge. If anything, women bring with them a very complementary skill set that is invaluable.
De Zoysa went on to share that women often attempt to give 110% to every role they embody, and expect far too much of themselves; they are unforgiving and relentless in this pursuit. However, we must learn to forgive ourselves, she said, adding that what one can really do is to try their very best, balance the many roles that is expected of them, and not be afraid of failure because it is inevitable, as everyone fails at some point, and when it does happen, you know that those around you will be empathetic because they recognise that you are doing your best with the utmost sincerity. She also remarked that she has an amazing support system in her family and friends, not forgetting Dialog which has been home to her during the last 24 years. The encouragement, drive, and unwavering support she received is what has made it all possible.
De Zoysa remarked that she now gets to work closely with another dynamic and passionate team within the Board, General Council, and chamber membership of SLASSCOM, and she is looking forward to yet another successful term following in her predecessor Channa Manoharan’s footsteps and those before him, who have contributed to making the industry what it is today. Looking ahead, she said that there has never been a better time for SLASSCOM than right now to create the highest impact for our nation and its citizens, organisations, and future generations.
SLASSCOM Chairperson Sandra De Zoysa[/caption]
Sandra De Zoysa, the Group Chief Customer Officer of Dialog Axiata, winner of multiple global and local awards, a thought leader in customer experience management, with over three decades of industry experience in ICT, and now former Vice Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM), was appointed as Chairperson of SLASSCOM for 2021/22 at the ninth annual general meeting (AGM) held on 29 June 2021.
De Zoysa is the first female to hold this position, and because she has paved the way, she most certainly will not be the last, thus inspiring women and young girls all around the island to realise their potential and open their eyes to the opportunities that lie ahead, if only they put in the work to get to the top of their game.
SLASSCOM is the national chamber for the knowledge and innovation industry in Sri Lanka; acting as a catalyst of growth, it facilitates trade and business, propagates education and employment, encourages research and innovation, and influences the national policy framework to add value to the industry.
The Chamber has over 350 member companies with a 11,500-plus employees working within the sector, and according to De Zoysa, much like the foreign employment, tourism, garment, or tea industries, the IT/BPM industry is poised to be a leading industry in the future, well within the top three in the medium term, with potential to become the number one export revenue earner for our country.
Sharing her thoughts on where her career trajectory has taken her, De Zoysa commented that when she first joined the Board as the only female member at the time, way back when SLASSCOM was in its sapling stages, being chairperson one day wasn’t something she envisaged, as she was simply a passionate volunteer who saw the impact of the “collective good” a team of like-minded professionals can create through collaboration – she felt that SLASSCOM was the ideal platform for it.
However, being the longest-serving member of the Board, she has been the “only constant” in the leadership team over the last decade at SLASSCOM, as the past chairmen like to call her. De Zoysa shared that she has ways been incredibly passionate about this industry, and this being an entirely voluntary role, the reason why she has held out for so long is because she is drawn to the inert potential and the vibrant collaborative nature of the industry as well as the people in it, who strongly believe in what’s possible in order to help shape the future of not just our industry and businesses, but also of the future generations.
De Zoysa also shared that Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM industry is at the tipping point and ready for exponential growth because when it comes to tech, Sri Lankans have built a reputation for delivering quality, and as our national branding for the IT/BPM sector suggests, we embody “IOI or Island of Ingenuity” – an island nation driven by big ideas, creativity, and talent. She expressed that we have a great body of talent with the ability to produce high-end niche propositions in product engineering, services, as well as BPM work, paving the way for producing value arbitrage for their customers globally.
She provided that SLASSCOM’s vision for 2025 is to generate $ 5 billion in annual revenue generation, create a 200,000-strong highly skilled workforce, and establish 1,000 tech start-ups, and considering the changing nature of the landscape, particularly with the effects of the pandemic, she said it is quite likely that we may be seeing these goals realised a lot sooner than originally anticipated, despite the ongoing challenges faced. She added that they have several key strategic initiatives: global trade and investment, skills and capacity for a future-ready workforce, accelerators, and entrepreneurship which will facilitate the achievement of the said goals.
Also pointing out Sri Lanka’s unique situation as a coveted destination, as is evidenced by the French travel and tourism operator Club Med ranking Sri Lanka to be the second-best place to be for digital nomads in 2021, placed ahead of Singapore and several other countries, De Zoysa said that it is only a matter of time before our country hits the No. 1 spot, considering the ambitious plans that are underway by the Government of Sri Lanka, which includes world-class regional techno parks with plug-and-play facilities including 5G and high-speed fibre connectivity, and we would soon have a compelling proposition to offer to those who would like to live and work in one of the top holiday destinations.
She also added that in these audacious goals, she also hopes that female-led enterprises will make a significant contribution to the 1,000 start-ups aspiration and SLASSCOM. She said they hope to promote the successes of women in time to come.
Considering that De Zoysa is indeed a success story for the ages, we asked her if she ever felt her journey to the top was challenged due to her being a woman, to which she simply said that for years now, she has always been in this situation. She was the first female to join the mobile telco industry way back in 1989, and as she made her way up the ladder, this situation became familiar territory to her. However, she shared that she never had thought that, by virtue of being a woman, she was ever at a disadvantage, and said that perhaps if you think that way, that is when it becomes a challenge. If anything, women bring with them a very complementary skill set that is invaluable.
De Zoysa went on to share that women often attempt to give 110% to every role they embody, and expect far too much of themselves; they are unforgiving and relentless in this pursuit. However, we must learn to forgive ourselves, she said, adding that what one can really do is to try their very best, balance the many roles that is expected of them, and not be afraid of failure because it is inevitable, as everyone fails at some point, and when it does happen, you know that those around you will be empathetic because they recognise that you are doing your best with the utmost sincerity. She also remarked that she has an amazing support system in her family and friends, not forgetting Dialog which has been home to her during the last 24 years. The encouragement, drive, and unwavering support she received is what has made it all possible.
De Zoysa remarked that she now gets to work closely with another dynamic and passionate team within the Board, General Council, and chamber membership of SLASSCOM, and she is looking forward to yet another successful term following in her predecessor Channa Manoharan’s footsteps and those before him, who have contributed to making the industry what it is today. Looking ahead, she said that there has never been a better time for SLASSCOM than right now to create the highest impact for our nation and its citizens, organisations, and future generations.