By hashan 
From Accounting Foundations to Leading E-Commerce
Every professional has a story behind the job title. In this edition of the mypage.lk Spotlight Series, we sit down with Chamikara Ranasinghe, General Manager – E-Commerce at Watsans.lk, to talk about an unplanned career path, lessons learned along the way, and why he believes in understanding the whole chain.
Meet Chamikara
Chamikara oversees procurement, pricing, sales, digital marketing, and operations at Watsans.lk, one of Sri Lanka’s well-known e-commerce businesses. It’s a role that touches almost every part of the business, and it wasn’t something he planned.
So, what does he do, and how did he get into it?
“My path wasn’t planned.”
Chamikara began his career in 2012 at Miami Exports in Stores, then moved into Management Accounts, building a strong foundation in costing and systems. He later entered the cosmetics and FMCG industry with LMJ International Lanka, gaining hands-on experience in imports, pricing, and sales.
His next move was to sister company Cosmetics.lk, where he was drawn into the world of e-commerce. In September 2024, he joined Watsans.lk.
What has the journey been like?
For Chamikara, every stage prepared him for the next: accounting foundations, then imports and pricing, then e-commerce, which brought it all together.
“E-commerce is more than a website. It connects finance, tech, marketing, and logistics.”
Much of what he knows today came from self-learning. Winning three BestWeb awards in 2026 was a proud moment, but he says the bigger win was seeing how far the business had evolved.
The toughest part
Chamikara is open about the challenges:
- Proving himself in a new environment while delivering results
- Understanding the business quickly
- Managing expectations
- Learning fast, often while juggling several areas at once
“Growth isn’t always smooth.”
His lesson: focus on what you can control, keep learning, keep moving.
What is he really good at?
Chamikara looks at a business from many angles. He’s comfortable with numbers but also drawn to technology, marketing, and customer behavior. He describes himself as curious and analytical, someone who would rather figure something out than avoid it.
“Understanding how the pieces connect matters more than being the best specialist in one.”
Life outside work
Away from work, Chamikara spends time with his family, especially his kids. He enjoys reading about people who have achieved something significant, particularly the challenges behind the wins, not just the wins themselves. He also spends a lot of time thinking through business ideas: what makes them work and how they could be better.
His advice for anyone entering the field
- Don’t limit yourself to one narrow area. In e-commerce, everything is connected.
- Understand the whole chain, not just your job title.
- Don’t wait to know everything before taking an opportunity. Take it, and grow through the experience.
Key Takeaways
- Unplanned career paths can build a surprisingly strong foundation.
- Self-learning and curiosity can take you a long way.
- Seeing how finance, tech, marketing, and logistics connect is a real advantage in e-commerce.
- Growth isn’t always smooth, so focus on what you can control.
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