An inspiring journey about Randula Wijesinghe who is currently honored to serve as the Global Partner Manager and Country Manager at hSenid Mobile, where his role involves overseeing diversified teams across Engineering, Operations, and Business units. In this capacity, he is privileged to cater to esteemed clients in the telecommunications, banking, and enterprise sectors across the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Brunei, delivering cutting-edge enterprise-grade software solutions in API management, Analytics, Communication, and AI platforms.

His inspiring journey in the IT industry commenced as a Software Engineer, where his technical acumen paved the way for him to transition into the role of a Project Manager, entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing complex software projects. This trajectory continued as he was later invited to step into the role of an Account Manager, leveraging his skills to manage client relationships effectively. With over a decade of experience in the IT sector, he eventually ascended to the position of Country Manager, a testament to his commitment and contribution to the industry. He heartily thanks hSenid Mobile for the great opportunities and for believing in him for all these roles to take him to the next steps, as it’s a place where he believes great empowerment happens. 

Empowering Growth through Collaboration and Leadership

One of the exciting facets and inspiring journey of his current role involves leading initiatives that focus on collaboration with top technology partners such as Red Hat and Amazon Web Services. This collaboration extends to working closely with premier IT service integrators in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, facilitating the delivery of innovative products and solutions to address the evolving needs of clients.

In addition to his managerial responsibilities, he is deeply passionate about training and coaching. Through his business coaching sessions, he strives to empower professionals and corporations to elevate their performance and achieve their goals. This passion extends to his involvement as a visiting lecturer at IIT, where he has the opportunity to share insights and experiences with the next generation of aspiring professionals.

He was inspired by technology and its potential to add value to people’s lives. He found joy in collaborating with diverse teams to collectively achieve meaningful goals. Working with people energizes him, and he thrives on making things happen

He approaches criticism or negative feedback professionally by first understanding the context and evaluating his actions in the given situation. He engages in personal reflection and review to identify any areas that may need improvement. If necessary and feasible, he discusses the feedback with the individual to gain further insights.

He views constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth. If adjustments are needed, he takes proactive steps to enhance his performance. If the criticism doesn’t warrant changes, he chooses to move forward without dwelling on it.

He firmly believes in the value of feedback for continuous improvement in both personal and professional aspects of his work

Work-Life Balance: A Personalized Approach

Work-life balance is a crucial factor for increased productivity and mental well-being in today’s world. The global focus is now shifting towards maintaining stable mental health, prioritizing it over physical well-being. Achieving work-life balance is imperative for nurturing this stability.

He believes that work-life balance is a personalized approach that revolves around how one manages time and energy in their day-to-day life. It is influenced by the passion and love one has for their work. While finding joy in one’s profession, it is essential to be mindful of the commitments made to family to prevent any regrets. Striking this balance is crucial, as overcommitment to work can lead to being perceived as a workaholic.

The key lies in meticulous time management and taking necessary breaks from work to honor family commitments.

Transitioning to Higher Management

Transitioning from being an engineer to leading a country and taking on global responsibilities was a wild ride, to say the least. 

Here are key aspects that helped him to focus and make it happen successfully…

1. Effective Delegation:

So, he used to be all about doing things on his own, you know, the classic lone wolf engineer. But stepping into leadership meant figuring out how to pass the baton. Delegation became his new superpower – not just assigning tasks but really empowering the team, giving them room to shine, and soaking in their feedback.

2. Team Motivation:

Keeping the team fired up was a game-changer. It wasn’t just about setting goals; it was about making everyone feel like they were part of something big. They created this vibe where each win was a team win. Throw in a few celebrations, and you’ve got a motivated bunch ready to conquer the world.

3. Constructive Feedback:

Feedback became his daily bread. It wasn’t just about pointing out the ‘oops’ moments; it was about recognizing the wins and nudging everyone toward improvement. They turned challenges into opportunities to grow, and that made the whole journey more exciting.

4. Performance Evaluation and Mentoring:

They got serious about KPIs – everyone knew what they were shooting for. But it wasn’t just numbers; it was about having each other’s backs. He became this mentor figure, dishing out advice and support. It was like watching a team of superheroes evolve.

5. Evaluating Skill Gaps and Training:

Skills are the currency of the future, right? So, he made sure they were always ahead of the curve. Identified the gaps, set up some killer training programs – it was all about keeping the team ninja-level sharp in a world that never stops evolving.

6. Genuine Care and Understanding:

You can’t lead a team if you don’t know the people you’re leading, right? He made it a point to know their stories, their dreams. It wasn’t just about work; it was about creating this tight-knit family where everyone had each other’s back. Real connections – that’s the secret sauce.

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

In his perspective, understanding that encountering failures is just a part of his inspiring journey and being okay with that is crucial. It kind of frees us up mentally, allowing us to experiment, execute, and grow. They’ve had moments, like during product launches and building partnerships, where they picked up some really valuable lessons. The focus here is on a positive analysis without pointing fingers, figuring out how to avoid similar situations down the road, and creating a targeted action plan. This mindset helps their team see failure as an opportunity to learn.

When it comes to hiring, taking the time to bring in the right people with the necessary skills and fitting into their culture is vital. They’ve realized that hurrying the hiring process for tight deadlines can lead to long-term team issues. However, getting the hang of appreciating cultural differences and adapting to the working styles of each country, like in Singapore and the Philippines, took some time but totally paid off. This inspiring journey taught them the importance of being patient in the learning process and not rushing the recruitment of the right team.

All in All, their third key to success is adapting to their clients. Understanding that different companies and products might have longer response times and certain details could be overlooked, they really dig deep into understanding their client’s journey and gathering feedback bit by bit. Checking in with other clients helps keep their feedback consistent, and genuinely showing interest in making changes is crucial. Listening to their clients is the key aspect guiding their success.