Sanchala as Operations Manager was responsible for all administrative functions at LIRNEasia. She has also worked at the Ministry for Economic Reform, Science and Technology and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, where she provided secretarial and administrative support in organizing meetings and seminars with local and foreign officials. She completed her studies at the Sri Lanka Law College in 2009 and subsequently joined the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka as an Attorney- at- Law.
Sanchala is an Attorney-At-Law, a Company Secretary and Notary Public. She is currently a partner of a law firm offering a range of legal services to the corporate sector.
“Did my time at LIRNEasia affect my current occupation? Yes, immensely,” says Sanchala. “I should also say that LIRNEasia’s influence on my life was not limited to the area of work. Where my current work is concerned, I feel LIRNEasia was a turning point in my career,” says Sanchala.
Sanchala joined LIRNEasia in December 2007 as the Manager Operations, while she was a second year law student at the Law College. Her practical exposure to the corporate and legal world began at LIRNEasiaunder the guidance of Professor Rohan Samarajiva and Mr Luxman Siriwardena. “At that time I was not qualified as a Company Secretary and I had not considered this profession. It was my work at LIRNEasiathat directed me towards this field. Both Professor Samarajiva and Mr Siriwardena encouraged me to qualify as a Company Secretary,” says Sanchala.
As the Manager Operations, Sanchala was exposed to Company Secretarial work such as filing annual returns with the Registrar of Companies, organising Annual General Meetings and other activities. This exposure gave her the opportunity to gain practical work experiences while qualifying as a Company Secretary. By the time she left LIRNEasia in December 2009, Sanchala had completed her law degree to become a fully fledged Attorney-at-Law and had also qualified as a Company Secretary.
“My additional qualification as a Company Secretary has helped broaden my competencies and increase my opportunities in Sri Lanka’s corporate sector. Therefore, I can say that my experiences at LIRNEasiahave not only influenced my current work but has also influenced my current choice of profession,” says Sanchala.