Hello! I'm Dasun
With over 20 years in the tech industry, I offer a broad and deep range of expertise, having worked in roles that include technology leadership, solution architecture, and software engineering. My portfolio spans multiple continents, delivering high-value enterprise solutions to a global clientele—from North America and Europe to Asia-Pacific. This diverse and extensive experience positions me uniquely to lead teams in leveraging technology and implementing best practices for impactful enterprise solutions.
Dasun Athukorala
Technology Leader
Empowering teams to drive business success in enterprise solutions by effectively utilizing technology, implementing best practices, and staying adaptable to emerging innovations.
Email:
Web
Location:
Colombo, Sri Lanka
MY ETHOS
“Stay Humble, Keep it Simple, Lead with Honesty and Empathy.”
LEADERSHIP
True leadership is defined not just by the impact you make in the moment, but by the lasting influence you leave behind.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology at its best isn't just a tool; it's a wand that transforms problems into opportunities.
SKILLS
Skills are the tools we use to turn vision into reality; always keep the end goal in sight.
TEAM WORK
Teamwork isn't just about working together; it's about amplifying individual strengths to achieve collective greatness.
TRAVEL TECH
In the travel industry, technology isn't just a tool; it's the passport to a more connected, efficient, and innovative tomorrow.
MENTORING
Mentoring transcends mere instruction; it's about fostering a hands-on engagement that turns lessons into lasting insights.
SKILLS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Product & service delivery
Product ownership
Chairing steering committees
Responsible for topline & bottomline
Ensure production systems SLAs
Review & revise project matrices & KPIs
Regular customer engagements
Manage escalations
NEW BUSINESS
Bidding for new projects
Contract Negotiation
Review & approve RFP & RFI
Strategise product demonstrations
Project costing
Review & approve SOW/change Orders
Workshops leadership
Trade Shows engagement
EXECUTIVE
Technology Decision
Solution Architecture Reviews
Review Cloud Architecture & Migration
REST & SOAP API Reviews
Caching & Database Designs Reviews
System NFR & Optimization Reviews
User Experience Design Reviews
POLICY & PROCESS
Agile Methodology - Scrum of Scrum
Create, Review & Revise Processes
Review & Revise On Boarding Process
Quality Processes
Policy & Process Compliance
Release Process
Adapt new processes
TECHNICAL
Interviews & Selection
Team Mentoring
Increase Efficiency & Productivity
Mitigate People Concerns
Performance Appraisal & Promotions
GENERAL
Company Operations Decision Making
Resource Planning
Budgeting
Board Presentation
External Engagement
POLICY & PROCESS
LEADERSHIP
TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE
As a technology leader, I am focused on enabling my teams and programs to continually innovate and achieve our defined goals and objectives. With over six years of experience in this capacity, I have led nearly 200 engineers from various disciplines in creating a variety of products. My goal is to achieve technology excellence by carefully selecting and effectively utilizing the right technology. In my role, I have also successfully modernized technology platforms in large enterprises.
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
One of my leadership strengths is defining and effectively communicating a clear strategic plan to stakeholders and consistently working towards achieving the milestones of the plan. With many years of experience in the industry, I have identified the following five strategic objectives that are crucial for the success of any technology organization:
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Product and service excellence: Ensuring that the products and services offered by the organization are of the highest quality and meet the needs of the customers.
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Delivering business value with quality and productivity: Ensuring that the organization's efforts are focused on providing value to the business and its customers, while also maintaining high levels of quality and productivity.
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Financial growth and profitability: Ensuring that the organization is financially successful and continues to grow and prosper.
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Highest customer satisfaction: Focusing on meeting and exceeding the expectations of the organization's customers, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction.
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Employee grooming, coaching, and growth: Investing in the development and growth of the organization's employees, through coaching, training, and other development opportunities.
PORTFOLIO OWNERSHIP
I have a proven track record of effectively managing and delivering multiple products and services on time, with a focus on quality. Examples of my success in this area include the successful delivery of a core business application for a world-leading leisure brand in the United States and Europe, as well as my responsibility for the modernization of the company's flagship product using a new technology stack. In addition to these responsibilities, I have also played a vital role in steering the direction of various products and projects as either the chair or a member of multiple steering committees. This diverse portfolio demonstrates my ability to handle multiple priorities and deliver successful results.
PRODUCTIZATION
As an interviewer, I often ask candidates about their greatest strength. And when I consider my own strengths, I believe that my ability to take an idea from concept to final product delivery is one of my greatest strengths. This includes the entire process of brainstorming, conceptualization, market analysis, design, and development. While everyone may have novel ideas for creating products with technology, not all of those ideas are successfully turned into actual products. My strength lies in my ability to successfully bring an idea to fruition through the entire productization process.
TEAM COACHING & MENTORING
Leadership is about inspiring and guiding a group of people to reach their full potential and achieve common goals. Through my many interactions and collaborations, I have developed the ability to identify the diverse skills and strengths of individuals and create teams with the right combination of skills to be successful. These teams often include very talented and intelligent people who still need guidance and mentorship to reach their full potential. I believe in empowering and supporting people by offering opportunities for growth and development through coaching and mentorship.
EXPERIENCE
2023 - PRESENT
E-LEARNING CONTRIBUTOR
2023 - PRESENT
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
2013 - 2022
VICE PRESIDENT
2011 - 2013
SENIOR SOFTWARE ARCHITECT
2006 - 2011
SOFTWARE ARCHITECT
2004 - 2006
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
2002 - 2004
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
2023 - PRESENT
FICB MEMBER
2023 - PRESENT
UNDERGRADUATE MENTOR
MEMBER OF FACULTY INDUSTRY COLLABORATIVE BOARD (FICB)
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Volunteered as a member of the FICB of the University of Moratuwa, Faculty of Information Technology
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Contributed to the creation of an industry readiness program for the undergraduates of the faculty starting with the 1st and 2nd year students
MENTORING
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Volunteered as an industry mentor for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering 3rd Year students of the University of Moratuwa
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Initiated mentoring for four engineering undergraduates
EDUCATIONAL VIDEO CONTENT CREATOR
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Designed a module for the course Professional Practice in Software Development for the University of Moratuwa open learning platform
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Created video material for the course
NEW BUSINESS UNIT
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Manages all aspects of CodeGen Consulting business division
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Hires new positions to expand the software development services under CodeGen Consulting
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Define OKRs to stream line business development under the new team
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Identify potential candidates for key positions and align them for the team expansion
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Build team inline with delivery needs
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Ensure the highest quality of delivery for all software solutions
CODEGEN ACADEMY
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Lunched the CodeGen Academy as a continuous skills development platform w
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Created the TechRookie 360 Work-Study scholarship program and onboarded twelve TechRookies as the first batch
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Launched the Academy LMS
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Initiated the Tech Bridge program for early internships from second year and above for undergraduates
LEADERSHIP
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Managed delivery and relationship of TravelBox to one of the world's top 10 brands
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Oversaw production systems in US and Europe with strict SLAs
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Led creation and execution of CodeGen's three-year "Vision 2020" strategy
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Engaged with C-level executives for new business, contract negotiations, and quarterly reviews
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Managed a team of professionals from various streams to ensure bi-weekly releases of production-ready software with new features
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Led migration of on-premise systems to containerized cloud service on AWS
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Implemented OKR goal setting framework to achieve stretch goals and ensure team focus
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Initiated and set up CodeGen Consultancy Services (CCS) and onboarded first customers
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Conceptualized and proposed creation of CodeGen Academy, a training and development entity to grow and groom talent for scaling the business
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
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Developed and implemented the digital products roadmap and rollout
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Transformed the product front end into a new user experience web application based on Google's material design
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Participated in the product API governance steering committee with bi-weekly review sessions
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Prioritized features and functionality based on market needs and customer feedback
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Provided coaching and mentorship to teams through regular engagement and periodic reviews.
TECHNOLOGY
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Proactively review new technology developments and provide strategic direction in adapting new technology and best practices
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Responsible for architectural design & implementation reviews
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Uplifting technology stacks & identify re-engineering needs to stay ahead in the industry
NEW BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT
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Led teams in product demonstrations and participated in the bidding process through requests for information (RFI) and requests for proposals (RFP) to potential customers
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Engaged in contract and commercial negotiations.
MEMBER OF SENIOR MANAGEMENT
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Implemented new management structures and processes to scale the organization for rapid expansion
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Planned, executed, reviewed, and managed CodeGen's product and project portfolios
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Managed budgeting and project financials
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Recruited new staff, conducted performance appraisals, and provided one-to-one feedback
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Led final interviews for potential new candidates in both technical and non-technical streams.
SOLUTION ARCHITECTURE
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Implemented a travel software platform for a large French Tour Operator
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Designed B2B/B2C booking engines for a UK outbound tour operator and a Middle-Eastern inbound tour operator
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Developed a travel packaging online platform for multiple brands of a leading cruise operator based in Miami, United States
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Led strategic discussions with customers and demonstrated CodeGen's flagship product to streamline business processes
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Led CodeGen's E-commerce team and designed and developed the Open Travel Alliance compliant SOAP API
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Represented CodeGen at trade shows (World Travel Market and Travel Technology Show) in London to promote our products
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Visited universities to share knowledge and experience with the next generation of technologists.
TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE
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Implemented a reservation platform for a ferry operator in Seattle, United States
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Enhanced the TravelBox solution for a leading destination management company for Europe headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland
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Developed a solution for using TravelBox for a Canadian European seats distributor in Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Served as lead architect for an Australian airline's dynamic packaging of seats with accommodation, transportation, events, and activities
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Conducted business analysis and solution design for a Canadian charter airline's passenger services system (PSS)
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Responded to requests for information (RFI) and requests for proposals (RFP) for worldwide tenders and demonstrated system capabilities to potential businesses (in person and remotely)
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Led teams for business analysis workshops in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
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Re-engineered main modules in TravelBox to enable enterprise capabilities
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Designed and implemented bed banks, payment gateway, and content management integrations
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Led the migration of the database from PostgresSQL to Oracle
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Served as team lead for the implementation of TravelBox for a tour operator in Gilford, UK
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Created technical documentation and user manuals.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
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Designed and developed key modules of TravelBox
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Led the first implementation of TravelBox for tour operators in Manchester and London, UK in 2003
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Conducted business analysis and solution design for travel agencies in London, UK and New Delhi, India in 2003
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Served as team lead for the implementation of TravelBox for a tour operator in Gilford, UK
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Led Level 2 production support activities for TravelBox installations in the UK and Australia.
EDUCATION
2009-2011
Master of Business Administration
POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Colombo
Sri Lanka
1998-2002
COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING - First Class Honours
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
University of Moratuwa
First Class Honours
Moratuwa
Sri Lanka
1996-1997
Diploma
COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN - First In Class
National Institute of Business Management (NIBM)
Colombo
Sri Lanka