One of the most interesting facets of my job as a lifestyle journalist is that I get to meet a wide array of interesting individuals from all walks of life. It’s true that I get to meet a diverse array of smart and intellectual people who are part and parcel of the millennial generation. As a member of Generation X, it’s truly exciting to see how this generation is shaking things up and disrupting everything – all in a good way, of course. Let this introduction lead the way to presenting Rovini Illukkumbura.
Scouring through her LinkedIn profile was tantamount to feasting my eyes on a mosaic of success. Starting out her career at MAS and Unilever, it was certainly inspiring to see her plot her way up the corporate ladder to thrive in the zenith of her capabilities. From Intern to Assistant Brand Manager to Brand Manager to Marketing Manager to a fully-fledged Entrepreneur in less than ten years spoke volumes of her dedication to the art of success.
All one has to do is to just tap away on YouTube to hear Simon Sinek talk about the lack of discipline that afflicts millennials, and I found that this was largely true. However, there are a great number of millennials who are very hardworking and determined. Instead of resting on her laurels and feasting on the entitlement of being part of her family business, Rovini strived to plot her own course in life.
This is something she has done quite successfully. Chatting to her at Hilton while she sipped her Pina colada, it was inspiring to listen to her talk of the tough love her father preached, and how that set the foundation for her to settle in a career that she treasured. It was hard work and perseverance that led her to become Samsung Sri Lanka’s Marketing Manager where she was again thrown into the deep-end of life.
Looking at her diminutiveness and ever-ready smile, it was hard to imagine her as a live wire. It was even harder to imagine someone this genteel could achieve so much, but that’s just a stereotypical assumption courtesy of a Generation X’er. Having been extremely persistent even in her academic endeavors, Rovini decided to study in the field of Economics at the University of Colombo. Yet what really matters in this day and age are your achievements. As a lawyer friend of mine once said: It’s never about your academic achievements, it’s all about your track record. I believe that it really is your upbringing that leads you to be who you are, and just like her affection for hard work, and her star-class coordinated guidance of the Visakha Synchro Team, the launch of Islander was a well-orchestrated affair.
Islander happens to be another milestone in that impressive track record of Rovini Illukkumbura. The brand launch of Islander was held at Honey Beach Club at Kingsbury Hotel at the beginning of this year; the event was attended by a veritable list of celebrities and VIPs including Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe and Jalani Premadasa. Using her extensive experience in the art of marketing, Rovini conceptualized the brand identity and marketing ethos of her brand, and launched it successfully while leveraging on the power of social media.
Crafted under the tagline – ‘Inspired By You’, the Islander brand seeks to promote and cherish the authentic island experience and portrays itself as a tribute to all things Sri Lankan with a focus on Sri Lanka’s strong appreciation of community. With a list of academic achievements, and a focus on marketing and product creation under her belt, Rovini spent an arduous two years researching, developing and designing Islander. With a successful launch already out of the way, Rovini is now busy working on a varied series of independent product lines that adhere to the brand promise portrayed by Islander.
The Islander range of flavoured water-based beverages was created to be a potent replacement for carbonated soft drinks. Consider that age-old proverb: health is wealth plus today’s excessive consumption of sugar, and then you’ll see how sugar has got the not-so-sweet reputation of being a promoter of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. What is more worrisome is that carbonated sugary drinks have contributed drastically to global obesity levels; and, it is this insidious trend that needs to be duly combated. The Islander range offers an organic blend of natural fruit flavouring, zero sugar and no colouring; appealing to all tastebuds, the Islander range of beverages are available in four tantalizing variations – Peach, Watermelon, Mint and Lemon and Lime.
Besides the desire to offer a health-conscious product while delivering value to a segment that believes health truly is wealth, Rovini says that this endeavor is also an effort at inspiring the younger generation that success is something anyone can get a shot at. So what, you may ask, is Rovini’s secret to achieving success? It’s quite simple really. If you set your mind towards something, you can achieve it.
Written by Rohitha Perera