September 2021
WOMEN IN PORTS MAKING AN IMPACT Udara Cumaratunga Manager – Commercial & Marketing South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd., Sri Lanka
Udara, please tell us a little about yourself and how you came to start your career in the maritime industry? Growing up, I aspired for a career in Swimming. A corporate career was not particularly something I envisioned. Over the years as I eagerly looked up to many Olympic swimmers, I learnt that although their common theme was countless hours of training, they were all, also successful in other aspects of life, whether it was academic or a career. With time I noticed that my curiosity extended towards understanding business and I was inspired by career professionals. In 2012, I embarked on a journey at the University of Sheffield, UK where I studied for a bachelor’s degree in International Business. During the second year of my degree, I undertook a study abroad year in Gold Coast, Australia which really expanded my understanding of Global trade and International business. In 2015, I returned to Sri Lanka and assumed a role as a management trainee at John
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Keells Holdings, the largest conglomerate in Sri Lanka. During the 15-month extensive training program, I had exposure to several different industries. Upon completion, I was assigned to the property sector of the group where I was responsible for branding and marketing aspects for the company and worked together with Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts to execute an events and promotions strategy for Cinnamon Life. Thereafter I undertook a position at eMarketingEye, a digital marketing agency in Sri Lanka with a global network of clients. Whilst carrying out my work responsibilities, I successfully completed a master’s in business administration in 2020. Then I moved to SAGT, an offer that really sparked enthusiasm in me to explore and learn about a completely new industry. My experiences in this short span of time has exceeded all my expectations. As the company adapted to the new normal, I was able to seize the opportunity to be part of teams that were in the forefront of driving change not only within the company but across the industry.
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