My career in finance
Sumathi Holdings
Group Chief Financial OfficerAt Sumathi Holdings, I lead finance across multiple companies. My focus is to build a finance function that each business can rely on for years to come. That starts with accurate, relevant information that reaches managers in time to act. I work with business leaders to choose KPIs that reflect what drives performance in their industry, agree who owns each measure and make reviewing it part of how the business is run.
Alongside that work, I focus on strengthening balance sheets across the group. When we assess growth opportunities, I look at how much cash they will require, how long that cash will be committed and how we will fund it. My aim is for each company to have the financial strength to meet its commitments, sustain its operations and invest in its future.
Axiata Digital Labs
Senior Manager – Finance → General Manager – PerformanceI joined Axiata Digital Labs as Senior Manager – Finance. My responsibilities grew to include supply chain management. I later became General Manager – Performance, leading long-term strategy and business planning. I brought together sales forecasts, delivery capacity and project profitability to help the leadership team decide where to invest and how to allocate people and resources.
Vishwa BPO and N-able
Business services and technologyThese roles broadened my experience across business process outsourcing and enterprise technology, two settings where understanding the work behind a contract matters as much as understanding its financial terms.
Banking and telecommunications
Early careerI started in credit card sales at Standard Chartered, moved into a customer-facing role at Celtel and later worked as Assistant Accountant in Credit Control at Lanka Bell. Those roles gave me a view of the full customer cycle, from the first sale to collecting payment.
Where I focus
Profitability and cash
I look beyond total revenue to margins by project, product and customer. I review cash alongside profit to understand what inventory and collections mean for funding.
Performance and accountability
I translate group plans into budgets, forecasts and operating KPIs. In management reviews, I want each material variance to have an explanation, an owner and a next step.
Systems and processes
I work with finance, procurement and systems teams to map approvals, define ERP requirements and build reports that reflect how transactions move through the business.