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A: It’s been a very promising start and I’m excited about the opportunity at hand. My first impressions were of the strong combination of brands and a passionate team with a ‘can do’ attitude to drive the company forward. I am also pleased to personally witness how all our flagship brands such as Sunlight, Signal, Lifebuoy and Astra are strong household names in this country.
Q: What were your first impressions of Sri Lanka?
A: My move to Sri Lanka has been very smooth. It has been very easy for my family to adapt and feel at home. I am looking forward to exploring this beautiful island as much as I can with my family. I am impressed by the education process in the country. It is commendable to see the emphasis and the kind of personal efforts made by parents to educate their children.
Q: What are your thoughts on being appointed as the first female Chairperson of the multinational?
A: Unilever encourages gender balance in its workplace and offers equal opportunity to both men and women. The company encourages its employees to achieve their ambitions whilst enjoying a good work-life balance. Unilever recognises the need for women to manage multiple responsibilities and therefore offers them flexibilities in order to help them to do so, successfully.
For Unilever Sri Lanka, having a balanced, diverse team is a strategic priority and a key differentiator. To build diversity at USL we have undertaken initiatives that support the building of talent within and outside the business. We are working to build undergraduate women who would be the next generation of career women. The internship and Unilever Future Leaders program also give us an opportunity to groom potential talent to build a diverse team of managers and future leaders. The launch of the women’s network also helps provide a group support for the women managers at all levels in the organisation.
Q: You’ve been with Unilever for 24 years. What are the roles you played within the organisation over the years and what are the most memorable events that shaped your career over the years?
A: One of the great aspects of Unilever is that it gives you a good exposure by opening the doors to diverse opportunities. In my 24 years with the organisation, I have worked across most Unilever categories. In December 2000 I was seconded to Vietnam for three years where I worked as a Business Unit Leader in Personal Care. In 2004, I came back to Pakistan as Vice President Home and Personal Care and later Refreshments. In April 2008 I was appointed to the Board of Directors, in Pakistan whilst serving as Director of Unilever Pakistan Foods Ltd. I also value the exposure I’ve had in other countries and the rich tapestry of experiences I’ve had.
Q: Your predecessor Amal Cabraal has left behind a remarkable legacy of success, growth and innovation. Unilever has been one of Sri Lanka’s 
foremost companies. What steps will you take going forward, to accelerate the growth trajectory?
A: Yes I have inherited a company in good health. Amal has done a commendable task of building a strong company with a strong foundation. The US$ 50 million, state-of-the-art ‘green’ production facility which was built in the BOI zone in Horana has secured substantial employment to 1,500 Sri Lankans and today, 95% of the products marketed by Unilever are produced at the Horana Factory.
Almost all raw material and packing material are sourced locally; hence we are helping the local industry to boom through our growth. We strongly adhere to sustainable sourcing as per our global Unilever guidelines. All suppliers we work in partnership with are certified for responsible sourcing and supply quality which is a global mandatory standard for vendors.
I am looking to use all this ammunition to accelerate growth. With all business fundamentals pointing in the right direction, and with the right mix of people, and a clear set of plans in place, I have every confidence that that we are fully geared to get back to a growth trajectory in 2014.
Q: What are the immediate challenges for Unilever in Sri Lanka and what do you see as key challenges in the medium term?
A: The challenge is to ensure that consumers continue to find that our brands are salient during a time when their budgets are stretched. We need to add value to the lives of our consumers through price points and credible propositions which they will find give them the right value for their money
Q: Where would you like Unilever Sri Lanka to be in the next five to 10 years?
A: Today Unilever enjoys market leadership across categories. Our brands are well-loved and trusted names. We are committed to improving consumers’ lives and we will continue to do so. Unilever is well poised to retain its market dominance and continues to make big innovations in the market and give customers what they truly need.
As we look to the future, we know that sustainable growth is the only way forward. Through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan we will continue to deliver the highest standards to all stakeholders, in an ethical and transparent manner, to make the most positive impact on our people, this country and our planet.
Q: What is the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan? How has it been brought to life in Sri Lanka?
A: Our holistic 10 year plan was designed to result in three significant outcomes: by the year 2020 we will help more than a billion people to improve their health and well being, halve the environmental footprint of the company’s products, and source 100% of our agricultural raw materials sustainably.
The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan covers social and economic, as well as environmental challenges. It encompasses the company’s entire value chain, starting from the point of sourcing of raw materials and ending with the consumer use and disposal of its products. It also covers every single one of Unilever’s products and brands.
Lifebuoy is one of the best examples of the USLP at work here in Sri Lanka, Lifebuoy champions hand washing and aims to touch eight million Sri Lankan lives by 2015 through awareness campaigns and school contact programs. Signal is another brand on a mission with its Night Time brushing campaign that aims, by 2015, to teach 50% of the population to brush twice a day. Pureit, the revolutionary water purifying system that requires neither gas nor electricity to power it, is currently present in over 9,000 households catering to 36,000 people. By 2015 the brand aims to be present in 350,000 households, benefitting 1,400,000 people.
Q: Could you tell us about your family?
A: I am married and I have two children – a son who is 12 and a daughter who is 4½ years old. I am surprised at how effortlessly they have settled in, in Sri Lanka and how they have already made friends in school.
Q: What inspires you?
A: I think what inspires me the most is definitely creativity, and above all ‘can do’ attitudes in people.
Q: What are your hobbies and how do you unwind?
A: I love playing golf because it provides me with an avenue to experience the outdoors. I find that playing golf helps me unwind and relax. I’m looking forward to playing on the many beautiful golf courses here, that that I’ve heard so much about. I also enjoy cooking and trying my hand at experimenting with new cuisines.
Q: Your advice to women who aspire to reach the top in their chosen fields?
A: I strongly believe that as women we have to make our own rules. We need to recognise that we are women and stop competing with men. We need to understand and appreciate the fact that as women we have our own style and our own plethora of strengths. We should build on these and add value to our own personal style and make our rules as we go along. We must be proud of the fact that as women we are great at multitasking and are innately creative. As long as you are able to deliver results, that’s what truly matters.
Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera
