Another success story of IIT- Asela Fonseka, Business Manager, Brandix

Pioneers in offering British Degrees in Sri Lanka, Informatics Institute of Technology ( IIT- www. iit. ac. lk), is today one of the best choices for students interested in furthering learning and careers in the field of IT and Business Management.

With more and more students now interested in the particular fields especially in the former, IIT offers a qualification that is on par with the world standards and are accepted worldwide for its content, quality and the skill development.

Among a number of highly successful individuals who are thankful for the Institute for what they are in the community today, is Asela Fonseka, Business Manager for Victoria’s Secret Intimates ( VSI) Division at Brandix who shares his story of success thanks to IIT.

While there were many other institutes offering a number of other degrees on the same line what caught his eye when he was scanning the market for a suitable degree was the industry relevant course structure and the fact that the degree was an internal qualification. “The course structure designed with a year of placement in industry differenti- ated the course from others and the entry criteria which were stringent relative to the other undergraduate programmes also ensured that the intake had a student population whose intellect was at a higher level,” he said.

Today heading the front end function for a business account with Limited Brands ( Inc), USA, Asela oversees the business development, technical, operational planning, sourcing and bulk merchandising functions. During his tenure at Brandix, he was instrumental in driving the business account to exceed the revenue target by almost 300% and bring the business to a value of 20 million US dollars.

In his previous roles while based in Sri Lanka in organizations like Linea Aqua (Pvt) Ltd, Virtusa Pvt Ltd, MAS Holdings ( Pvt) Ltd as well as while working in the UK, Fusis Group (Pvt) Ltd and E venture ( Pvt) Ltd, he was able to deliver results and make significant contributions to the progress of the organizations. Asela acknowledges that the academic grounding he received at IIT was a key pillar of strength to move into organizations focusing on different industries. The academic contents which are defined in a holistic manner at IIT have imparted the much needed knowledge to conceptualise and implement solutions to the day to day and strategic problems of organizations.

He further says that the qualification at IIT was a stepping stone in helping him to achieve greater academic and professional credentials.

In his interest to set up his own business by the time he hits 40, Asela noted that the practical dimension of the programme with a year of industrial placement was a key attribute that helped his career. He also highlighted that the “lecturers were open to help and the fact that bulk of the knowledge was imparted through assignments ensured that the practical component of each study area was easily disseminated to the students.”

“I would encourage anyone, interested in a demanding career to join in IIT as it is the institute that supports the dreams of the students and encourages the students to aspire higher in life” he concluded.

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