Prasanna Liyanaarachchi

Accomplished Senior Business and Operational Leader with over 25 years of experience, including a distinguished 23-year tenure as a Wing Commander in the Sri Lanka Air Force, and extensive academic involvement as a senior lecturer at both military and private universities. Currently reading for a PhD, I hold an MBA, two Master’s degrees, and a Bachelor’s degree, supplemented by several professional qualifications. Known for my strategic and operational leadership, I excel in driving business transformations by effectively leveraging organizational assets and aligning people, processes, and technologies with corporate goals. With proven administrative prowess and outstanding communication skills, I am adept at developing tactical business plans that achieve robust business outcomes. Aspiring to leverage my comprehensive background in management consultancy to deliver exceptional value and insight.

• Symposium - Counter Insurgency Operations, Case Study on Sri Lankan perspective (as Presenter) by DSCSC (Bangladesh 2021).
• 6th Doctoral Colloquium of IRCMF 2020 (as Research Author) at Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Colombo.
• Strategic Human Resource Management in Indian Context’ by ITM University Gwalior, India.
• CMA Qualifying Training Program by CMA Australia.
• Attended 16th & 17th SAARC Summits in Bhutan & Maldives
• 65th UN General Assembly in USA & 22nd CHOGM in Australia.
• Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders & Developmental Disabilities in Bangladesh.
• Attended Colombo Air Symposium in 2017 & 2019 as Research Author.
• Qualitative & Quantitative Data Collection & Analysis, by the National Science Foundation, SL.
• Training, Development, Public Speaking & Presentation, Sri Lanka Institute of Training & Development (SLITAD), SL.

• Enhanced the revenues of Jayavi Holdings by 18% within a span of 14 months through effective business process reengineering.
• Increased revenue of Ceylonica Southern Agro by 26% within a span of 12 months through effective business process reengineering.
• Boosted productivity of the Procurement Division by 12% at Ceylon Minerals Impex via implementing solid processes & restructuring the operation.
• Developed HR & Administration policies at Digitus Tec (Pvt) Limited, strategically aligning them with the company’s SAP ERP business objectives to enhance efficiency and support scalable growth.
• Functioning as a change agent for change management operation in SAP B1 implementation project at 260Brands, Zambia.

• General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), Visiting Lecturer, 2019, 2020, 2021
• Junior Command and Staff College, Visiting Lecturer, 2017, 2018
• NCO Management School, Directing Staff, 02/01/07, 09/01/09
• KDC Academy of Management, Visiting Lecturer, 2022, 2023
• Defence Services Command & Staff College (DSCSC), Directing Staff, 01/01/19, 09/01/21
• Metropolitan Campus, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), Visiting Lecturer, 2024

• HR and Corporate Affairs Consultant – Digitus Tec (Pvt) Ltd
• HR and Corporate Affairs Consultant – Global Brands Wines and Spirits (Pvt) Ltd
• Senior Member of Steering Committee for the Design Thinking Workshop conducted to Nelna Group of Companies

• Thesis on Impact on Rural Schools due to Selection of Popular Urban Schools by Parents for the fulfilment of Bachelor’s Degree in Management at Sir John Kothelawala Defence University, Ratmalana.
• Thesis on Factors Leading to Premature Retirement and the Impact of Career Guidance in the Sri Lanka Air Force fulfilling the necessity of Masters in Business Administration awarded by Australian Institute of Business Administration.
• Thesis on Job Satisfaction and Employee Turnover: A Case Study of Sri Lanka Air Force for the fulfilment of Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management at University of Colombo.
• Thesis on Comparative Study on Corporate Vs Military Performance Appraisal Practices for the fulfilment of Master’s Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies at Sir John Kothelawala Defence University, Ratmalana.
• Thesis on Effective Employment of Military in Disaster Management: Sri Lankan Perspective for the fulfilment of Post Graduate Diploma in Defence and Strategic Studies at National Defence University, Malaysia.
• Paper on Developing Small Air Forces through Professional Mastery for the Colombo Air Symposium – 2019.
• Research Abstract on Intellectual Growth of Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Drawbacks and the Way Forward for the 6th Doctoral Colloquium of IRCMF 2020 at the Faculty of Management and Finance, at the University of Colombo.

• Outstanding Business Leadership & Consultancy
• HR
• Strategy
• Operations Management competence with experience in broad range of consulting approaches, processes & best practices.
• Demonstrates thought leadership approach & strong credibility with the ability to influence leaders at all levels within an organization whilst ensuring alignment between agreed business goals & functional/ company strategy.
• Proficient in steering complex business environments whilst providing innovative, appropriate & cost-effective solutions in delivering sustainable outcomes over the medium to long term.
• Ability to challenge/ drive best practice with good understanding of current & emerging business trends with a strong grasp of day to day & annual financial aspects of the business.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to understand client's business needs & spot potential opportunities through the effective application of data/ market insight with solid grasp of the cost & value drivers of the business.
• Ability to lead small/ large high performing teams to deliver successful outcomes in a complex, multi-national & matrixed environments.
• Innovative and critical thinker who is willing to take risks to satisfy needs of the business while working in the best interests of the company.
• Ability to take initiative and act in a proactive manner; not needing significant direction or management.
• Ability to perform well in high-pressure regulatory environment, balancing competing priorities with strong commitment to delivering results.
• Prowess in functioning in a target driven environment & take responsibility for increasing revenues & commercial growing market share.
• Able to build/ promote a culture that allows individuals & teams to feel challenged & empowered to make serious changes & decisions.