LIFESTYLE
Yohan Thilakaratne
In conversation with Nirmali Ameresekere
What is a typical day like for you – and do you have any specific habits or routines that help you remain productive?
My day begins when I wake up at 5 a.m.; and planning the day before anything else – work, family, activities etc.
If your career were to be turned into a movie, what would its title be? And who would you like playing you?
The Grind and the Iterative Ascent with Denzel Washington
A passion project or business idea you’d pursue if you had unlimited time and resources
I would love to recreate forests and preserve nature – similar to Jadav Payeng and John Muir
Music that typifies your workday
Rhythms of the daily flow
Your go-to song or playlist to stay happy during the day
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson
The best piece of advice you’ve received
Life is what you make of it – leave no regrets
And what is your mantra to recharge when you feel overwhelmed?
I often scribble down many things and keep expanding them
An item on your bucket list that you’d like to achieve in the next few years
Travel the world – add at least 10 new countries in the next few years
How would you spend your time if you could unplug from technology for a week?
Exploring, hiking and driving
What other work do you think you would excel in – and why?
Teaching (it’s in my genes), designing (creative) and auditing (digging deeper)
A failure that turned out to be a blessing in disguise
Not doing well in biological science and having to shift to marketing
And a guilty pleasure that helps you unwind after a stressful day
Food – kottu and cashew nuts
A quirky habit that helps you during working hours
Frequently reading news sites from around the world
Advice you’d give your younger self if you could travel back to the beginning of your career
Never be scared to dream big and be bold
If you could work from anywhere in the world for a month, where would you go?
From the places I’ve been to, it would be Bali
And if you could collaborate with any person (past or present) on a project, who would it be? And what would you create?
I would love to work with Jadav Payeng on a project to turn bare land into forest and maybe adopt the same in Sri Lanka or elsewhere
If your team members could switch roles with you for a day, what do you think they’d find most surprising about what you do?
The effort I invest in building relationships, and ensuring that processes and functions happen smoothly – including removing roadblocks
One thing you hope people will remember most about your contribution to work or society
Having created a space where everyone felt equal, warm, seen, valued and supported along their journey
When you dance, you look like
I’m absolutely not dancing!
The first thing you notice about someone
His or her smile
You know it’s going to be a bad day when…
My laptop doesn’t power on
You’re challenged by
Someone saying ‘I can’t do it’
You recently laughed out loud when…
Ex-colleagues met up and reminisced about the early years
You’re saddened when…
People take things for granted
Love has the power to…
Make people feel truly human
Happiness is when…
I see my children not giving up
Sri Lanka will have a chance to develop when…
The focus shifts to discipline and accountability
A message of positivity in trying times
Even in trying times, hold onto your values and humanity – they are treasures never to be sacrificed
Memory skills on a scale of 0-10
Nine
Tea or coffee
Tea!
The most delightful word you can think of
Family
Motto in life
Live kindly, be grateful for what’s good, and never compromise on integrity, trust and loyalty
