Working
together

Dr. Amal Karunarathna is a highly accomplished researcher and strategic advisor with over 30 years of experience spanning academia, market research, and consultancy. As CEO at Breakthrough Business Intelligence Pvt Ltd, he plays a pivotal role in project conceptualization, planning, statistical analysis design, data interpretation, and providing strategic communication recommendations. With more than a decade of service at Breakthrough, Dr. Karunarathna continues to guide complex research initiatives from design to insight delivery.

He holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, Australia, a Master of Commerce from Bond University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Adelaide, and a BSc (Hons) from Flinders University. His academic and professional background brings a strong foundation in analytical thinking, strategic planning, and evidence-based decision-making.

Dr. Karunarathna is also actively engaged in the professional community, served as Honorary Consul for Kandy with the British High Commission, Colombo, and as a member of both the Academy of International Business and the Academy of Marketing Science in Australia.

With deep expertise in translating complex data into actionable strategies, Dr. Karunarathna’s contributions are instrumental in ensuring that research insights lead to meaningful impact and informed decision-making.

Dilini Jayasuriya is a seasoned market and social research professional with over 27 years of experience spanning both commercial and development sectors. She headed the Social Research division at TNS from 2006 to 2009. prior to becoming the head of the ageny, leading numerous large-scale studies and advancing the agency’s expertise in understanding social change and public attitudes.

As a research consultant for Unicef (Maldives) UNOPS, she has also designed and delivered a wide range of research projects for the United Nations and other international development agencies, contributing valuable insights to policy and programme design.

Trained as a qualitative researcher, Dilini brings deep expertise in uncovering human motivations and social dynamics. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Postgraduate Institute of Management and is widely recognised for her strategic thinking, methodological rigour, and ability to translate complex research findings into actionable outcomes.

Suresh Jayaweera has more than 28 years of brand and marketing strategy experience combining brand strategy consulting and industry marketing management. He is responsible for leading major client engagements and providing thought leadership.

Suresh's mix of industry and consulting experience has enabled him to help clients develop and implement brand and marketing strategies that build market leadership, create a blueprint for growth/investment and drive financial performance.

He holds an accolade for strategic planning from CIM and an MBA from Postgraduate Institute of Management.

Sonali Jayasinghe is an experienced quantitative market research professional with over fourteen years of industry expertise across Sri Lanka and India. She has a proven ability to understand consumer behaviour, identify target markets, analyse industry trends, and evaluate competition.

She began her career at Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB), and also worked with IMRB International in Mumbai, managing research for major consumer brands. Sonali has held key roles at Unilever Sri Lanka and Hindustan Unilever Limited in Mumbai, where she worked closely with brand-building teams to integrate consumer and market insights into decision-making processes.

After her tenure with Hindustan Unilever, she took a planned career break to focus on caregiving while successfully establishing her own online craft business. Having balanced entrepreneurship and family responsibilities, for the past year, Sonali has been consulting for Breakthrough, further enhancing her professional engagement and keeping her research expertise active and current.

Nuwani Jayasuriya is an accomplished qualitative researcher with nearly a decade of experience exploring people, culture, and behaviour. She holds an International Master’s in Business Administration from Birmingham City University, UK, and is deeply skilled in uncovering the human stories that shape decisions and drive change.

At Breakthrough, Nuwani brings expertise in project management, insight mining, moderation, and storytelling, transforming rich qualitative findings into meaningful narratives that inform strategy and inspire action. Her work spans a diverse portfolio of clients, from leading local brands such as Hemas, Swadeshi, NTB, and Dialog to global organisations including Unilever, Nestlé, Fonterra, Allianz, and UNICEF.

With a passion for translating complex insights into practical solutions, Nuwani’s approach consistently bridges the gap between understanding people and creating impact.

Liyamalie Manayake is a seasoned market research professional with over two decades of experience specializing in qualitative research.

She has previously served as Head of Qualitative Research and Strategic Client Lead at a multinational research organization.

Liyamalie possesses extensive experience in leading qualitative market research initiatives across a wide range of industries, including services, manufacturing, and FMCGS

Her strategic insights have guided numerous brands through successful new product launches and growth strategies. Staying closely connected to consumers at the grassroots level; she continuously monitors and interprets emerging market and consumer trends to provide clients with meaningful and actionable insights.

Chrishmila George has been in the market research industry for more than four years and is a well-rounded researcher experienced in both quantitative and qualitative research. Her passion lies in unearthing stories hidden behind numbers.

She is experienced in industries spanning from banking and finance, insurance, telecommunication, F&B and QSR.

Chrishmila holds a Bachelors in Business Statistics from the university of Sri Jayewardenepura and Masters in Business Analytics from the university of Moratuwa.

Maneka Gunasinghe began her career in the Marketing and Apparel industry, where she managed projects and facilitated communications for some of the top brands in the field.

She then broadened her expertise by transitioning into Human Resources and later into marketing research, expanding her skill set and experience.

She currently specialises in a range of qualitative projects across multiple industries, working with prominent FMCG brands, as well as a variety of manufacturers and service providers. She is dedicated to uncovering valuable qualitative insights from both consumers and key stakeholders.

Kamal Pushpakumara is an experienced field operations professional with over 15 years of expertise working with some of Sri Lanka’s leading research agencies. He currently heads the field services division at Breakthrough, overseeing nationwide data collection through a well-trained, multilingual field team.

With a proven track record in building and managing field networks, Kamal has successfully established teams across the country, giving Breakthrough a distinct advantage in executing research projects efficiently and effectively. His strong leadership and on-ground experience ensure high-quality data collection across diverse geographies and audiences.

Kamal also holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Colombo, further strengthening his capabilities in team leadership and field workforce development.