A role model to all the young ladies in Sri Lanka. She is someone who lives by the quote “Your beginning does not define yourself”. Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, the first ever female to become the Group CEO of a publicly quoted conglomerate in Sri Lanka currently holds the position of the Group Executive Officer / Executive Director of Hemas Holdings PLC. After commencing her career in 1988 as an audit trainee she has held many senior management positions, winning awards and most importantly unlocking the best in people around her.

From humble beginnings……….

Kasturi was yet another ordinary girl with a unique personality, coming from a humble family of four where she was pushed every day to become everything she wanted to be by her beloved parents. She is a former student of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitya. Kasturi, known as a tomboy because of her knack for netball,  was the school netball team captain. But she didn’t stop there, being a predominantly sportswoman, she also represented the national netball team of Sri Lanka while making sure that she was academically proficient at the same time. Her childhood dreams revolved around getting married and having children. But her strong determination to finish whatever task assigned to her to the best had a say in her fate. She, who once dreamt of only becoming a mother, became a corporate leader.

The unexpected turn………….

After she completed her Advanced Level exams, she was headhunted by Someswaran Jayewickreme & Co. because of her sports background, i.e., as a member of the firm’s Netball team, which became the start of her career life as an audit trainee. Not only did she manage to win tournaments for the firm, but she also became an accountant by profession. She became a valuable addition to the firm by putting her best into everything she did. Meanwhile, with the aim of being academically strong, Kasturi obtained her CIMA qualification.

Life of a young mother………..

“My children would always be my top priority,” she said proudly in job interviews. At the age of 23, Kasturi got married, and by the age of 26, she was a young mother of two lovely boys. This wasn’t an easy task. “ A perfect imbalance”, she said as she managed both being a mom and her career, acknowledging the fact that there were certain moments in life where she would have to compromise one or the other. 

Achieving great heights…

After ending her career at Someswaran Jayewickreme & Co as an Audit Manager and Director of Consulting she joined Aaramex Airborne Lanka as the financial controller.  In the year 2002, Kasturi joined Hemas Holdings PLC as the Director of Finance at HemasTours which she now calls her family. Her journey at Hemas didn’t end from there, she continued to hold many senior management positions, including Chief Processing Officer and Managing Director of the Hemas Transportation Sector. Her portfolio also included Hemas Aviation, Hemas Logistics, and Hemas Maritime Services. In 2016, she was appointed as the Managing Director of Hemas Pharmaceuticals, Hemas Surgicals and Hemas Diagnostics. Her experience in different areas of business from Finance, and logistics to IT gave her exposure to people management and strategic decision-making within the organization. She also followed the Senior Executive Program at Harvard Business School. Later, in October 2020 she was appointed as the Group CEO at Hemas Holdings PLC. Her success didn’t go unheard, she was recognized in many award ceremonies. A few of these awards included being named one of the top twelve Women Change-Makers in the country by the Parliament of Sri Lanka and USAID, as well as being honored as one of the ten ‘Wise Women,’ impactful leaders of Sri Lanka, by the Ministry of Skills and Vocational Education in 2021. In 2023, she also received the prestigious ‘Business Leader of the Year’ award at the SAP Dare to Dream Awards.

When referring to her work life, let’s not forget her professional attire. Unlike other women in the corporate world, Kasturi can be seen wearing elegant sarees whenever she is in a corporate setting here in Sri Lanka. She initially started wearing sarees to appear older for her age when she began her first job, and now it helps her distinguish herself from the rest.

A true leader’s way……..

Her performance-driven attitude, straightforwardness, and self-awareness paved her pathway into a great leader. However, as the rest of her colleagues would define her “Kasturi can put the right people in the right place, making her team shine”, which made her stand out as a true leader.

Last but not least, Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, who never dreamt of being in a boardroom, is now an echoing name in the corporate world. She is creating a legacy by inspiring people around her and making the most of each day, all with the simple goal of creating a positive impact.

Written by: Rtr. Malshi Samarasekara

Graphic design by: Rtr. Sathmi Dinanja