We have a team who are passionate about what they do & the imapct they make.
“WIF is a concept stemming from the personal experiences of the founders which was then elaborated in formulating a holistic approach to women’s empowerment & development.”
Our structure is simple. Our team is mostly comprised of volunteers and project staff. The two founders serve as the Chair & Deputy chair giving direction and purpose to the establishment and championing the guiding principles. The honorary advisory council ensures governance of WIF and strategically advices the board of management. The board of management is responsible for the strategic deployment of the vision whereas the management team ensures the operational deployment of the work.
“WE ARE A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE & WE ARE REGISTERED UNDER THE SOCIAL SERVICE ACT OF SRI LANKA”.
Ms. Seroshi D. Nandasiri
Chairperson and Co-founder
Seroshi is a professional marketer and branding specialist with over a decade of experience. She has worked in different industries to include Tourism, Manufacturing, FMCG, Education and Not for Profit sector handling both b2b and b2c customers across Europe and Asia. She has also been exposed to different sub disciplines of Management in terms of marketing, planning, administration, finances and operations.
Seroshi started her career at Hayley PLC (DPL) as a Management Trainee in 2006. From thereon she held many positions including Marketing Executive at Chalmor,UK, Assistant Manager Branding and Communications and as an Account Manager at MAS Intimates, Assistant Director Marketing and Events at Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Head of the Business School at CA Sri Lanka. Currently she works as the Director Marketing and Business Development at Colombo School of Business and Management (CSBM), premier corporate run business school in the county. Seroshi has been instrumental in setting up of the business school along with prominent business personalities with the aim of promoting corporate and business leadership in Sri Lanka. She has also been the strategist and the artist behind the making of the brand, “Colombo School of Business and Management” which has been positioned as a premier leadership facility in the country. Her skills in communication both digital and traditional, ability in organising and shaping events, PR with an array of stakeholders have contributed towards the creation of this branding story.
Seroshi carries a strong academic and professional background. She has a BSc in Marketing Management from the University of Sri J’pura with first class honours where she topped the batch securing the prestigious University gold medal. Also holds an MSc in Marketing from the University of Hertfordshire, UK with Distinction and the university prize for the best overall student. Seroshi also won the prestigious Chancellor’s International Scholarship from the University of Hertfordshire for the Excellence depicted in her academic achievements. On the professional front she has completed CIMA, UK and CIM, UK securing Sri Lankan prizes to her name. She also obtained her executive education in Strategic Management and Leadership from the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Seroshi is an extended faculty member for the Center for Banking Studies of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, NSBM and CSBM. She also contributes as a business development, communications cum strategy specialist for many consultancy projects with CSBM such as UNDP GEF SGP up-scaling project, strategic planning projects with Sri Lanka Cricket, Sri Lanka Rugby, USAID-IREX, Sri Lanka Anti-doping agency, Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) and macro level consultancy work for the film and coconut industries of Sri Lanka. Seroshi also worked closely with corporates such as CBL, SMEC International, Nestle for strategic level human capital development projects which also included conceptualizing competency frameworks and strategizing the assessment centers for long term human capital development.
Seroshi is a strong advocate against sexual harassment and domestic violence against women and she communicates strongly across corporate and unorganized forums to educate and create space for women. WIF is initiated by her to assist women through knowledge, skills and attitudinal change to break the glass ceiling both at corporate and domestic tiers for their development and advancement. Seroshi believes that awareness (both self and social) and guided support are the key ingredients to empowering generations of women and through the creation of WIF she attempts to put her philosophy in practice.
Seroshi is a finisher! and a finisher in style. A strategist in focus and an artist at heart.
Mr. K. Gamage
Deputy Chair & Co-founderGamage is veteran social welfare personnel in Sri Lanka and a reputed public servant with over 34 years of experience. He is known both locally and regionally as an expert in the fight against drugs and illegal substances.
He is the former Director General of National Dangerous Drugs Control Board with over 34 years of experience. He also worked as the Commissioner of the ICCE (International Center for Credentialing and Education of Addiction Professionals) with the Colombo Plan and as the Executive Director of International Institute of Addiction Management. Gamage currently serves as the Academic Registrar of the Colombo School of Business and Management.
He has also been actively involved in planning and implementing WIF-WACC project where he contributed towards the village and community development through communication in Mineripitiya in Ratnapura District & UNIFEM women's Development Project in Weerambuwa & CIDA , ICon Project for Fisheries women's Development Project in Pelana and Talramba in Matara District and Bassiyawatte and Talahena in Gampaha District & Unicef, USAID, HEB Projects on training for Health workers on basic communication in six districts, Kalutara, Kegalle, Ratnapura, NuwaraEliya, Kurunegala and Puttalam.
He has also conducted many speeches, lectures and chaired many forums on communication and community development for Government and Non-governmental organizations with the aim of creating awareness non Drug abuse, women development and community development and if quantified they include, 3000 educational lectures on drugs prevention and control, trained 10,000 professionals on drug abuse prevention and enforcement, established over 300 drug prevention societies island-wide, produced over 500, 30 minutes radio programmes and broadcasted over SLBC and Lakhanda & produced 110, 30 minutes live programmes on drugs control and telecasted over ITN.
Gamage holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Post Graduate Diploma in Writership and Communication from the University of Jayawardenepura and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colombo. He is a veteran in the field of drug abuse and community development.
OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL
- Dr. (Ms.)Subangi Herath, Senior Sociologist, Colombo University
- Dr. (Mrs.)Diane Morrad, Senior Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire, UK
- Prof.(Mrs.)D.S.R. Samarasinghe, Professor Department of Marketing, Uni of Sri J’pura
- Ms. Vijayluxmi Rajah, Writer and Journalist
- Mrs. Madu Perera, Director Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau
- Dr. Nishreena Nisham, Management Consultant
- Ms. Damayanthi Darsha, Former Sri Lankan Olympic Athlete, Women Go Beyond Champion, MAS Intimates
- Mrs. Swinitha Coswatte, Consultant and Activist
- Ms. Anoka Abeyrathne, Consultant, British Council
- Mr. Rohan Somawansa, Director Marketing, DSI
- Mr. Channa De Silva, Chairman, Sarvodaya Finance
- Ms. Malkanthi Rajapakse, Senior Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Defense
- Ms. Mihirani Dissanayake, CEO, SRL
- Ms. Florita Gunasekara, Consultant, UNDP
OUR BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
- Ms.Seroshi D. Nandasiri, Chairperson
- Mr. K. Gamage, Deputy Chair
- Mr. Jinasiri Dadallage,Former Secretary of the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government of Sri Lanka
- Ms, Dhammika Wijayasinghe, Chief Secretary, Western Provincial Council of Sri Lanka
- Ms. Layangi Jayasekara, Communications Consultant
- Ms. Uthpala Sankalpani, Sustainability Consultant,GIZ
- Ms. Shivanthika Kumarasiri, Senior Business Analyst,New Zealand
- Mr.Sam Samarajeewa, Management Consultant
- Ms.Seetha Fernando,Former Director Finanace Monitoring,Ministry of Provincial Councils
- Mr. Amila Rajapakse, Communications and PR Consultant
- Ms. Sachithya Wijegunasinghe, Secretary WIF,Former Brand Manager Cool Planet,United Kingdom
- Ms. Jithari Samarakkody, Treasurer WIF, Art & Craft Specialist
- Ms. Himashi Gurudeniya, Lecturer Biology and Social Media Specialist
OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
- Mr. Sam Samarajeewa – Partnership & Funding support
- Ms. Mihirani Dissanayake, Partnership & Project support
- Ms. Shivanthika Kumarasiri – Planning, Financing & Administration
- Ms. Malkanthi Rajapakse – Administration, Governance & Project Support
- Ms. Sachithya Wijegunasinghe - Administration & Project Support
- Ms. Himashi Gurudeniya – Administration & Project Support
- Ms. Jithari Samarakkody – Finance & Administration
- Ms. Nabeeha N. Siddique - Project Support
- Ms. Dunali Nadeesha Perera - Project Support
- Ms. Zareefa Nifam –Project Support
- Ms. Priyadarshani Hemakumara - Project Support
- Mr. Pasindu Jalath, Consultant Virtusa – Web support
- Mr. Pradeep Koholanagedara - Project Support
- Mr. Indika Sooriyapperuma –Social Media support
- Mrs.Dilini Gamage,Project support
- Mr.Nalin Weerakoon,Sponsorship and Partnership support