- Dr. Maheshika Halbeisen Kuruppuarachchi on the passion and determination that drove her to become a scientist
By Jennifer Anandanayagam
When determination and a positive attitude combine, what you’ll see is the journey a 19-year-old Sri Lankan student from Battaramulla took when she boarded a flight from her home country to the UK. Henlow, England-based Maheshika Halbeisen Kuruppuarachchi calls herself passionate, determined, and futuristic. She landed in the UK, armed with a passion for science – a fire that was lit in her as a child as she watched a professor present the weather forecast on Sri Lankan television. “As a little girl, I used to watch this professor who had the title ‘Vidyathna’ in front of his name, and I knew since then that I wanted to become a scientist.”
Kuruppuarachchi landed in the UK, wiped the tears she’d been crying on the entire flight there, and put on her brave face. Her first degree was a BSc (Dual Hons) in Biochemistry and Biological and Medicinal Chemistry at Keele University, and her first job was as an analyst working in a lab, testing and formulating the hair removal cream we all now know as Veet. The title of scientist, which she longed to have attached to her name, came along during her second job role, six months after. She went on to read for her PhD at Hull University while at this job.
Kuruppuarachchi also has an Executive MBA from the same university. She has travelled the professional scope of project management, team management, portfolio management, and now consultancy and business development. Today, she is the UK General Manager and Head of Global Key Accounts for a global pharmaceutical regulatory consultancy. “The beauty is that I still use my science background in my job. When I’m negotiating with big pharma clients, my knowledge and interest in science plays a big part,” she shares.
This week on Write Home About, we chatted with Kuruppuarachchi about passion, Sri Lanka, and the importance of perspective when dealing with living in a new country.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a leader in the pharmaceutical consulting industry and I’m very proud of my Sri Lankan roots. My success is the result of continuously seeking challenges, passion, and support of my loving family where we share Sri Lankan, Swiss, and British values making it an exciting cultural mix. Today, I work as the UK General Manager and Head of Global Key Accounts for a global pharmaceutical regulatory consultancy.
I would describe myself as passionate, determined, and futuristic. I give my 100% to everything I do, whenever I make my mind up, I never give up, and I am very excited about the future with all its novel technologies – Web 3.0, Metaverse, and blockchain technologies being a few. I have two children – a two-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, and my husband is of Swiss origin. We met in the UK. He’s an economist.
Tell me about your life in Sri Lanka before you moved?
Having lived in different places in the country, I went to Newstead Girls’ College for my primary education and Devi Balika Vidyalaya thereafter. I made up my mind early on that I wanted to study abroad and as soon as I completed my A/Ls, I came to the UK.
I did biology, chemistry, and physics for A/Ls, and I got university entrance in Sri Lanka as well, but I never wanted to become a general physician and I didn’t know if I’d be called a scientist if I pursued university education in Sri Lanka, or if I’d have to take the path of becoming a doctor instead. I also wanted to avoid the ragging in Sri Lankan universities.
So I started looking for opportunities abroad. I went to all the embassies in Colombo and I came back home with a lot of prospectuses. After about six to nine months of intense research and applying, I finally got offers from three universities in the UK, and three different offers from three different countries. I picked the UK.
How would you comment on discrimination and race relations in the UK?
I have never faced any discrimination in the UK during my 20 years here. The UK has a very international society, extremely open to embracing other cultures, people, and religions.
When I was in university, I had quite a few part-time jobs. Even at that level, with basic roles, I was paid and treated well. Quite soon in my career, I was leading teams of about 25 to 30 people who were all British. Even to this date, as a general manager of a UK company, everybody I work with is British.
When people talk about racism, I think it boils down to how you feel. If I feel insecure or I’m not confident about something I’m doing, I’ll need something to blame. If I didn’t get a job, I could say: “Oh, they’re racist. They didn’t give me the job” or I could say: “Maybe I wasn’t right for the job. Maybe I was lacking something.” We see what we want to see in life. The things I can’t control, I can’t control. They’re not worth my energy.
Even today, when I conduct interviews, when I see a person, I don’t see colours. When I talk to a person, I don’t see them as a man, woman, this or that. I see the person as someone who either can do the job or can’t do the job. That helps me to be unbiased, to see the facts as they are. That’s how the world should be. Colours and what people believe – religion etc. – don’t matter. How they are as a person – their integrity, critical mindset, what they can do – is what matters.
When we think that we are being discriminated against, we put ourselves within a frame. We have only one life. Why waste it by thinking of unnecessary things? Be open-minded. Focus on becoming the best self for yourself. If you can help another person, help another person. Don’t think about the things you can’t control. You can focus on the things you can’t control and that add no value to you, or you can focus on yourself and become the best version of yourself. I’d always choose the latter.
In your 20 years in the UK, what are the life lessons you’ve learned?
Take every day as it comes and learn. Read lots and lots of books. We don’t know what we don’t know. When I first started my career, I would’ve made so many blunders. My superiors, line managers, etc., would’ve told me things, but in your first years, you are so naive, even to understand what’s happening.
When you look back now, you see that they had a point. We need to accept that sometimes in life, we don’t know what we don’t know. Be open-minded and learn and try to grow with it. If you don’t know something, it’s okay. Pick up a book, go on YouTube, and educate yourself. Keep growing. Keep learning.
What are your thoughts about the situation in Sri Lanka now?
It has been a constant topic over here. I follow the news closely. I’m quite sad. I have been trying to connect with my friends at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and world economic forums to see what can be done, but looking at the situation from outside, there’s very little they can do before the country has a plan. It’s very important for Sri Lanka to come up with a plan on how they’re going to get out of this. It’s very difficult for global institutions to help without such a plan in place.
What are three things you’d like to see changed in Sri Lankan society and why?
Corruption, gossip, and jealousy. These drag society down, and waste time and energy.
What’s your message to fellow Sri Lankans right now?
Don’t wait for someone to come and help. Take the initiative, set targets, compete with yourself, learn new things, and be creative to find solutions to the problems around you. Try every day to be better than yesterday. Work with integrity.
(Jennifer Anandanayagam is a journalist and editor with over 15 years of experience in Sri Lanka’s print and digital media landscape. She is also a freelance contributor with the SaltWire Network in Canada. She spends her time between both countries)