Ms Sashi Jayakody, Director of Finance at Hayleys Aventura, Hayleys Consumer, and Hayleys Lifesciences, embodies resilience and commitment in her journey from a dynamic student to a prominent businesswoman.
Balancing academics with extracurricular activities, she pursued a degree in Finance and attained professional qualifications while advancing in her career.
Overcoming challenges of motherhood and corporate finance, she invested in an Executive Leadership programme, elevating her leadership skills. Her achievements include leading award-winning projects and fostering a purpose-led organisational culture.
Sashi defines success by perseverance and adaptability, prioritising goals and giving back to the community. As a leader, she emphasises authenticity and openness, creating a supportive environment.
Prioritising work-life balance and practising effective time management, she instils confidence in fulfilling personal and professional commitments.
Mentorship plays a significant role in her career, with her mother serving as a source of inspiration.
Sashi’s journey serves as an inspiration for aspiring businesswomen, epitomising resilience and commitment to excellence.
Can you share with us your journey from your school days to your current position as a prominent businesswoman?
As an active member of various clubs and societies, I have always embraced the art of multitasking from a very young age, from the school Netball team to the English Literary Society, Commerce Society, and Senior Choir. Being flexible and adaptable to change enabled me to balance my academic pursuits during my school days, while securing admission to one of the leading local universities to undertake a bachelor’s degree in Finance (Special). Concurrently, I completed my professional qualifications in CIMA (UK) and ACCA (UK), while embarking on my career journey as a trainee analyst for a leading local conglomerate.
Advancing rapidly up the corporate ladder to become an assistant manager while still completing my final exams at the university, I went on to secure all my subsequent promotions within a decent period, as a fully qualified Fellow Member of CIMA cum Fellow Member of ACCA. The trajectory of my journey shifted significantly when I embraced motherhood while continuing to excel in my roles as a finance manager and later, as the head of the corporate finance division at a leading group of companies.
Juggling these dual responsibilities demanded exceptional prioritisation and multitasking skills. Above all, it taught me invaluable lessons in perseverance, shaping my core values of patience, hard work, commitment, resilience and the ability to handle pressure effectively.
Retrospectively, the game-changer in my career was a deliberate and personal decision to invest in an executive leadership programme offered by INSEAD, one of the finest business schools in the world. As one of the youngest participants, this programme was a transformative experience, which served as a catalyst to take my leadership skills and competencies to the next level.
What were some of the major challenges you faced along the way, and how did you overcome them?
Throughout my journey, I discovered that even the most daunting of challenges present a window of opportunity. Balancing the demands of young motherhood with a thriving career in the high-pressure finance sector has posed significant hurdles, as each aspect came with its own trials.
In the wake of such challenges, having a robust infrastructure at my workplace and home environments was critical, together with the unwavering support of my husband and my parents to actively co-parent my children, and the steadfast determination of my teams to consistently deliver on their targets, work.
These assisted me in achieving the heights which I have reached so far. Another major challenge is a strict adherence to competing timelines, since deadlines are often inflexible in corporate finance and financial reporting.
At an executive level in the sphere of finance, timeliness is paramount to complete work efficiently, particularly as we navigate the complexities of ensuring compliance across the entire business value chain, whilst liaising between multiple stakeholders. Building a robust team is always instrumental in overcoming these challenges whilst recruiting top talent in human resources to leverage their unique and specialised expertise, meticulously planning our work streams to prioritise attention to detail, and delegating responsibilities were done.
Could you highlight some of your key achievements throughout your career?
My upbringing and life experiences have undeniably shaped my present career, and I firmly believe that I would not be holding this position without my own intrinsic qualities. For instance, balancing the demands of being a hands-on mother to two young children while steadily ascending the corporate ladder has been a defining aspect of my career.
Both are equally demanding roles, but I consider this a key achievement since I would never have pursued one goal at the expense of the other. Before joining Hayleys Aventura, when I was attached to the Corporate Affairs Unit at Hayleys PLC, I led the team that produced an award-winning annual report. This report went on to earn prestigious accolades for overall excellence in corporate reporting at the prestigious CA Sri Lanka TAGS Awards 2023 as well as the coveted overall winner and the winner of the diversified and conglomerates category at the ACCA Sri Lanka Sustainability Reporting Awards 2023.
Currently, leading the diverse and agile Corporate Solutions Divisions across Hayleys Aventura and Hayleys Consumer, from finance to supply chain, procurement, HR and administration, IT, ESG and compliance, is another testament to my abilities honed over the years. Our winning formula is a strong corporate culture. I firmly believe in the ethos that, before you implement a process, you must first invest in your human capital and your organisational culture. Our talented teams are always our strongest ambassadors, facilitating a competitive advantage and strength.
How do you define success, and do you feel you’ve achieved your goals in life so far?
I am a firm believer that you cannot define or measure ‘success’, since it is a deliberate and subjective journey guided by your own personal objectives and desired outcomes.
Personally, for me, ‘success’ is about perseverance, maintaining an indomitable spirit, while boldly confronting your challenges or setbacks with a ‘never give up’ attitude and being adaptable to change. I certainly feel that I have achieved my goals in life to a great extent.
When you are comfortable and your achievements and work ethic speak for itself, you gain the confidence to weather any storm headed your way by reaching for the courage within yourself. Additionally, when you reach a particular threshold of the corporate ladder, you have the platform to share your voice, where you are trusted, accepted and heard.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received in your professional journey, and how has it impacted your approach to leadership?
Firstly, “Your vibe creates your tribe”, because as a leader, success never takes place in isolation, it is built on a foundation of a strong team. You can never rise and shine in silos because it all boils down to how you lead and inspire them, and how they accept you.
Leading a very young, vibrant, and dynamic team of skilled finance professionals, fostering a culture where they feel recognised, accepted, included, and heard, has been paramount. To accomplish this, I believe that you must always be authentic to yourself and nurture an organisational culture based on mutual respect, where you treat others in the way that you would want to be treated.
“The art of listening” is another valuable piece of advice that I have received, which is essential as you climb the corporate ladder. Remaining grounded and attentive to the opinions, ideas, and concerns of your team members helps keep them motivated and inspired. By recruiting skilled individuals and leveraging their expertise collaboratively, we can achieve the best outcomes compared to working in isolation.
Considering your experience, what advice would you offer to aspiring businesswomen who are just starting their careers and how can businesses offer support in this regard?
The formula for success will be in pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. If you are passionate, courageous and willing to work hard, you will be resilient to handle any challenges that come your way. Further, it is essential that you prioritise your roles from achieving your career goals to building a family, and learning about life whilst being prepared to give something back to the communities and environment. At Hayleys Lifesciences, this is why we are investing in a well women’s health screening initiative, to foster a greater sense of inclusion. Ultimately, our efforts strategically align with the social elements of the Hayleys Group’s environment, social and governance (ESG) blueprint.
In your opinion, what qualities make a great leader, and how do you embody these qualities in your own leadership style?
One of the fundamental qualities of a great leader is authenticity; this is being true to who you are.
As a leader, I trust my character and always strive to be the best possible version of myself, which makes me more approachable to my teams. I practise an open-door policy, with no power distance, where my team members are always free to express their candid opinions. Designations are not licences to abuse power; rather, they are bestowed on certain individuals to act in the good faith of their teams with integrity, creating a supportive environment and infrastructure where they are equipped to meet their day-to-day and strategic organisational deliverables.
Can you share your thoughts on the importance of fostering a purpose-led organisational culture?
At Hayleys Aventura, our teams in engineering and science-based verticals often work extended hours. Thus, possessing a positive attitude, strong values, and effective teamwork are essential to building a purpose-led organisation and achieving our goals. Milestones will never be achieved in isolation or ad-hoc, but are the result of a stringent and logical process, implemented and governed by people with the right mindset.
Tying everyone together to a single-minded purpose is always important, since our teams can be similar in their values but diverse in their competencies, skills, and attitudes. The glue binding these diverse teams together is a strong organisational culture where employees feel recognised for their hard work, act with integrity, and feel secure to grow and develop in their roles. Ultimately, this is what our company purpose is all about, to galvanise and inspire our teams to ensure they feel valued and appreciated at all times.
How do you prioritise work-life balance, and what strategies do you use to maintain it in your busy schedule?
As a mother and a working professional, I consciously prioritise both my personal and professional commitments without feeling guilty for attending to personal matters. However, I believe it’s crucial to instil confidence in our superiors that we’re capable of fulfilling our professional responsibilities despite attending to our personal commitments. Once this trust is established, we can effectively balance our personal and professional lives. Furthermore, effective time management through pre-planning work has also enabled me to prioritise work-life balance. This has helped me invest time for self-care, as you must have time to look after yourself before you look after others.
What do you believe is the role of mentorship in career development, and have you had any influential mentors throughout your journey?
Mentorship holds immense power in shaping an individual’s career journey by providing guidance and empathy during challenging times. I have been fortunate to receive mentorship from a certified international trainer during my executive leadership programme at INSEAD, who reinforced the significance of leveraging opportunities while prioritising one’s family and work-life balance.
However, my greatest source of inspiration has been my mother, who always inspired me by highlighting the importance of education and independence for women. She instilled in me the belief that women can be breadwinners and emphasised the importance of financial planning for the family’s well-being, both as a wife and as a mother. Her teachings have been a profound source of strength and guidance in my life.
