New leadership at Q&E, Sri Lanka’s pioneering independent MarCom agency

Q&E, one of Sri Lanka’s foremost independent marketing communications specialists, recently announced that, effective 1 May this year, industry icon Dilrukshi ‘Dilky’ Wijeyekoon would be resigning from the company that she has led for well over a decade, She will be migrating to Australia in order to pursue fresh opportunities and new challenges, with Asiri Abhayaratne, current Brand Management Director, taking over as CEO.

Asiri has already begun assuming many of the day-to-day duties of steering the company, as part of a succession and leadership transition process that has been underway over the last six months.

Dilky has led an agency that has significantly expanded the scope and potential of advertising and marketing communications in Sri Lanka. During her tenure, Q&E has won the trust of leading brands in nearly every industry, from retail to financial services, from diversified conglomerates to apparel innovators. She is renowned for her insistence on producing quantifiable results for clients, leveraging her prior experience as Head of the Q&E’s Media Unit to spearhead innovative media buys that capture ‘eyeballs’ and maximise clients’ budgets.

Her belief in “her people” has allowed her to develop an industry-best team of brand architects, media planners, designers and writers. Quoting the Jack Kerouac classic, ‘On the road’, the English Honours graduate exclaimed with a chuckle that: “The ones for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad about shaking brilliant ideas loose from their heads.” Dilky prides herself on spotting talent early and guiding her employees towards their potential, while giving them the independence they need to find out where their ideas lead.  Her hands-on approach to managing the company is mirrored by her successor, Asiri Abhayaratne, who is as comfortable in a creative brainstorming session as he is in a client meeting on corporate strategy.

He will be taking over a profitable firm that is poised to become the most sought-after MarCom specialist in the country. A graduate of the University of London, Asiri counts over a decade of experience in product and services development, drawn from companies as diverse as SriLankan Airlines, Dialog Axiata, LMRB, and Union Assurance. As the past coach of Royal College’s champion rowing team, Asiri was instrumental in aligning talent with common purpose, a template for success that has also helped him build winning relationships with clients and Q&E team members.

Speaking about the leadership change, Asiri pledged to uphold Q&E’s vision of helping clients and its own team members ‘find their difference.’ From strategically repositioning corporates, to developing brand identities and designing 360 degree tactical advertising campaigns, Q&E has earned a reputation as the ‘difference-maker’ by transforming client and brand essences into strategic advantages.

This philosophy is exemplified by Q&E team members, who bring a dazzling diversity of viewpoints, ideas and backgrounds to bear on their work. By working in small, intensely focused teams, the agency is able to ensure that clients receive highly personalised service in addition to distinctively different ideas that will set them apart in their market. As the MarCom specialist moves onto the next phase of its evolution, clients, employees, and other stakeholders can rely on CEO-designate Asiri Abhayaratne to maintain his strong commitment to upholding Q&E’s corporate values and unique approach.