From Martial Arts to Business Leadership

 

I’m half Sri Lankan, half Finnish—born and raised in Finland, with an internationally rooted education. My journey began at age 12 with the martial art Han Moo Do, which I helped introduce to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. I competed in full-contact fighting, accumulating nearly 100 matches. My proudest achievements include winning the Hoi Jeon Moo Sool World Championship in 2000 (held in Michigan, USA), multiple Finnish national titles, and several OMD Cup victories across various disciplines.

 

Academically, I hold a Master of Science in International Management from the School of Business, University of Gothenburg, where I received the Malmsten Award for best thesis. I also earned a BBA in International Business from JAMK University of Applied Sciences and graduated from Jyväskylän Lyseo Upper Secondary School.

 

After teaching martial arts, I moved to Ireland, starting at IBM’s international technical support and later joining Baileys, where I was responsible for customer satisfaction across selected regions. Back in Finland, I’ve built a strong commercial career, especially in sales with leadership roles including Chief Revenue Officer at Naava, Sales Director at Keskisuomalainen Oyj, and Country Manager at Mediaplanet. I was also involved in introducing marketing automation systems in the early 2010s and worked with online video content.

 

Before my current focus on leadership coaching and podcasting, I served as CEO of Selfly Store, leading the company to become Europe’s top provider of smart vending solutions. The company was acquired at the end of 2024. Prior to that, I was CEO of Nordic Business Forum for four years.

 

I mentor and coach business leaders, helping them navigate complexity, build resilience, and lead with clarity. I’ve held board positions with Nordic Business Report, Oslo Business Forum, Presidents’ Institute, and European Vending and Coffee Service Association.