Our Faculty
Akila Gunarathna
MBA (UK), B.Sc. Engineering (Hons), ACMA, CGMA, ACCA Affiliate, Dip in Banking & Finance
Akila Gunarathna works as the Director – Corporate Finance at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.. Akila holds a degree in Engineering specialized in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Moratuwa. He is an Associate Member of CIMA and equipped with an MBA from the University of Northampton (UK). He counts over 12+ years of experience in the field of accounting and finance and served Resus Energy PLC, Brandix and KPMG in the initial stages of his career. He was ranked as 4th highest in the world (highest in Sri Lanka) for the TOPCIMA examination in November 2010. In addition to that, he is the CIMA Sri Lanka prize winner for P2 Management Accounting Decision management in November 2007 examinations and he was highly commended at the CIMA Annual Awards held in 2011 for Inspirational Story of the year award. Apart from those, he won a merit award at National Best Quality Software Awards in 2011 for the final year project on developing a methodology for an open-source Sinhala Grammar Checker along with a group of four members. He won the Sivaganathan Memorial prize for the subject Business Lending in banking examinations held in 2012.
He is the present nominee from CIMA Sri Lanka to serve Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board as a Director and serves as the Chairman to the IT steering committee. He served as a Member of the Member Development Subcommittee attached to the CIMA Country Network Panel in Sri Lanka in 2020. Currently he serves MESANA Regional Advisory Panel of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. Also, he was a member of the Advisory Committee for curriculum development in the Department of Commerce in National Institute of Education. Akila is CIMA’s resource person to conduct Train the Trainer programmes for CIMA Operational and Strategic Levels in Asia Pacific Region in 2022.
Akila is a senior lecturer for CIMA and produced many global rankings including global first position and many Sri Lanka prizes for CIMA case study examinations. He has conducted CIMA lectures in different geographies including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nigeria, Africa and a CIMA certified tutor to conduct A Star / CBLC pathway programmes. He conducts frequent CIMA case study revisions to Asia Pacific Region based on CIMA Sri Lanka’s invitation. He is a resource person in Institute of Chartered Accountants, Sri Lanka and conducts many exam focused webinars based on institute’s invitation. Akila worked as a part time lecturer for MBA programme affiliated with Staffordshire University and offered by APIIT, Sri Lanka
Akila is a proud product of Royal College, Colombo 07 and was a senior prefect in 2006/07.
Boopathi Kahathuduwa
Boopathi Kahathuduwa is an accomplished professional with a diverse background encompassing law, finance, and academia. With a wealth of experience as an Attorney at Law practicing in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and other civil courts, he specializes in constitutional law, public law, technology law, commercial law, and other civil legal actions. Boopathi is widely recognized for his exceptional skills in negotiating and drafting commercial contracts, providing expert legal advice on corporate governance, investments, and general commercial matters. He currently serves as a legal consultant to numerous technology companies, offering valuable guidance and support.
Boopathi obtained his bachelor’s degree from University of Colombo specializing in International Business, he thereafter completed Attorney At Law examinations at Sri Lanka Law College whilst simultaneously completing all examinations of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
In addition to his legal expertise, Boopathi has over 11 years of experience as a lecturer for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). He has also held visiting lecturer positions at several prestigious universities.
Furthermore, Boopathi has made notable contributions in the public sector, having served as a Board Director of Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd—a joint venture between Sri Lanka and India. He has also held a Board Director position at the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority.
Boopathi is also the founder and CEO of Wooks Sinhala School, which caters to Sri Lankan children residing abroad by providing language education.
Salman Faiz
MBA (Distinction), BBA (First Class), ACMA, CGMA, ACCA Affiliate
Salman is attached to a large diversified conglomerate in Sri Lanka. He oversees areas in supply chain, finance and performance management. His corporate expertise has made it possible to link theoretical concepts with the practical world and to better groom students to conquer the challenges in their work roles.
Salman started his lecturing career while still being an undergraduate. He has experience in lecturing for ICASL, ACCA, CIMA, BSc at University of London, and the MBA program at Staffordshire University. His lecturing experience both overseas and in Sri Lanka has allowed him to maintain a close rapport with a diverse group of students and position these students to achieve their maximum potential.
Salman is equipped with a MBA from the University of West London and a BBA from the University of Colombo. He is also a Sri Lanka prize winner for two subjects in ACCA while being qualified as a ACMA and CGMA. Salman completed his schooling at St. Peter’s College, Colombo 04.
Suran Patabendige
Suran is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Northampton.
Suran held senior managerial positions in well established companies in manufacturing and apparel industry where he was responsible for driving finance and operations of the organization. In a lecturing career that spans over twelve years, Suran has successfully coached over thousands of students to pass their OTQ exams on the first attempt.
He currently serves as the Head of Operations in Wijeweera garments pvt ltd. He is a past student of Rahula College, Matara and was always recognized for his academic excellence and sports achievements during the school career. He was the past president of Rahula College Old Boys Association (2006 batch) from 2008 to 2013.
Selani Indrapala
Selani is a top performer in the CIMA qualification, securing 1st place in Sri Lanka and 9th globally for the Operational Case Study Exam, as well as achieving the highest score in the Asia Pacific Region for the P2 Management Accounting exam. Her academic journey began at Methodist College, Colombo 03, and continued at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo 05, after which she joined the University of Moratuwa to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering.
With this diverse educational background, she possesses a strong foundation in both engineering and finance, having gained valuable experience in accounting, data science, artificial intelligence, and hardware technologies through her professional roles. Her expertise spans key areas such as financial analysis, data-driven decision-making, and emerging technologies.
Beyond her academic and professional accomplishments, Selani is a seasoned public speaker, recognized for her contributions in various speaking engagements and competitions. Her unique blend of technical knowledge, financial acumen, and communication skills positions her as a versatile and engaging lecturer.
Devangi Nanayakkara
CIMA Passed Finalist, CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Marketing, MBA (Finance) University of Bedfordshire – Reading
Devangi Nanayakkara works as an Investment Banking Associate at Acuity Knowledge Partners. With over 3 years of corporate experience, she previously worked at MAS Holdings as a Finance Executive attached to the corporate finance division. Devangi is a CIMA passed finalist at the age of 19, completing the qualification simultaneously with the G. C. E A/L (2020) examination, securing 3A passes in Commerce stream and ranking as district 26th. Currently reading for Masters of Business Administration specialized in Finance at University of Bedfordshire, she’s also interested in Marketing, hence obtained the CIMA Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Marketing. Excelling at both academics and professional career at a very young age, she’s currently lecturing for BA2, BA3, P1 and FLP of the CIMA curriculum and Edexcel and Cambridge Advanced Level Accounting subjects, inspiring and motivating the students throughout their learning.
Devangi is a proud product of Sanghamitta Balika Vidyalaya, Galle. She served as the President – English Announcing at the school media unit, competing and winning several all island announcing competitions. She was also the Vice President of the Commerce Society and Senior Member of school English Debate Society, World Link Society and Model United Nations.
Maneth Wijetunga
MBA (UK), Bsc. (Hons) Computer Science, Bsc. (Hons) Data Science, CIMA Exams Complete
Maneth is a candidate for Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Hons) from University of Colombo School of Computing and a Bachelor’s in Data Science from University of Coventry. Additionally, Maneth has completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in General Business Administration from the University of Bedfordshire, further enhancing his academic credentials.
With professional experience as a Management Accountant and in corporate finance, Maneth has developed a comprehensive understanding of management accounting, risk management, and business strategy. His background also includes significant experience in business analysis. For over four years, Maneth has been providing student support materials for CIMA case studies and other subjects. He currently lectures CIMA BA2, P1, and P3 at Inspire Business School.
In addition to his lecturing role, Maneth works as an Associate Project Manager in a FinTech firm. A past student of Vidura College, Colombo, he was recognised for both academic excellence and sports achievements during his school career.
Udesh Gunarathne
Udesh Gunarathne currently works as a Project Manager at KPMG Sri Lanka. He holds a First-Class B. Sc. Accounting (Special) Degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Udesh is a Passed Finalist of both the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA, UK) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL). Remarkably, he completed his CIMA qualifications within just 1.5 years at the age of 21 under self-tailored method.
Udesh is currently pursuing the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) at the Strategic Level and is preparing for Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program.
With over five years of teaching experience, Udesh has made significant contributions as a CIMA tutor. He is also a mock exam writer and marker for the Operational, Management, and Strategic Case Study exams, assisting both local and international students. His expertise extends to personalized coaching, preparing comprehensive summaries, and guiding students in exam preparation. In addition, Udesh has served as a temporary teacher for G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Accounting (English Medium) at Mahanama College, Colombo 03.
Udesh is an alumnus of D. S. Senanayake College Colombo 07, where he was awarded the prestigious Dudley Senanayake Award for being the Most Academic Student in the Commerce Stream in 2018. He also received all G.C.E (A/L) Commerce Stream subject prizes, including the highest marks for Accounting in the G.C.E. (A/L) examination.
Throughout his academic journey, Udesh held number of top leadership roles in clubs and societies, both at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and D. S. Senanayake College. He was also a panelist in the roundtable discussion conducted by the AICPA & CIMA Global Research and Development and Syllabus Team during their visit to Sri Lanka in 2023.