Orientation speech at the orientation of the Cardiff Metropolitan University MBA @ ICBT campus on September 22, 2019

1. Making the MBA journey
exciting
Shanta R Yapa

2. Profile - Shanta R Yapa
Industry experience: 34 years in diverse fields of engineering, banking, international
business and IT and at present works for Avonet Technologies as the Chief Innovation
Officer.
Teaching experience: Visiting faculty member teaching business strategy, OB,
technology management, international business and research methods in programs of
19 local and overseas universities for 18 years. Visiting resource person of AITE, Asian
Institute of Technology, Thailand.
Academic affiliations: Member of program advisory committees of University of
Moratuwa, SLIIT and SLIATE. Member of the standing committee for computing of the
University Grants Commission for 8 years up to 2017.
Current industry affairs: Director/General Secretary of ICT Industry Skills Council,
Council member and a past President of the Software Chapter of the Federation of IT
Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) and executive council member of the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance
(APICTA), Member of the judging panels of YCS, NBQSA and CSSL Awards.
FB/LinkedIn: Shanta Rajapaksha Yapa, Email: shantayapa@gmail.com,
2

3. 4 points you need to pay attention
to make the MBA journey an
exciting one..
Business names and brands are discussed purely for
academic purposes.
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
3

4. 1. Stay tuned!
Come to the class well prepared.

5. Few places you need to explore..
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
5

6. 2. Think beyond the visible!
How do you understand these
incidents?

7. Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
7

8. The place known for chicken ran out of
chicken!
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
8

9. Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
9

10. Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
10

11. 3. Look for emerging topics
Buzzwords, Trends

12. Some topics are not that new!
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
12

13. Global Outsourcing vs
Circular Economies
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
13

14. Eco-friendliness Vs
Energy payback
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
14

15. 4. Look for opportunities to
serve
Every problem is an opportunity!
Solve ethically.

16. A partial list of problems to solve
• Exports/High tech exports
• Productivity
• Crimes
• Corruption
• Suicides
• Sugar consumption
• Alcohol
• Deforestation
• Digital divide
• Income inequality
• IPRs
• Google search
• Pesticides/ Fertilizer
• Road accidents
• Diseases – Dengue
• Cost of living
• Migration
• Technology adoption
• Innovation
• Floods
• Ethics
and the list continues..
16
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019

17. The 4 points
1. Stay tuned
2. Think beyond the visible
3. Look for emerging topics
4. Identify opportunities to serve
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
17

18. Instead expecting MBA to add value
to your profile, try to add value to
MBA.
This is how you can leave your
footprint!
Shanta R Yapa - CMU MBA Orientation @
ICBT, Sept 2019
18

19. Let us make Sri Lanka a country we
all can be proud of!

20. I wish you every success!
Thank You!
Shanta R Yapa
September 22, 2019