Kavindya Samarakoon Is Ingenico's New Dispute Manager

Having just completed a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) in Marketing Communication & Information (MCI) at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, Kavindya Samarakoon from Sri Lanka has already managed to land a job in the Netherlands.

According to Samarakoon, who has been hired as a dispute manager for international e-payments company Ingenico, the fact that she studied at Wittenborg stood out in the eyes of recruiters due to Wittenborg’s focus on diversity and internationalisation.

“Global companies really value professionals who have experienced diverse environments, where they learn how to accept and respect other cultures and work with people of different backgrounds. One of the reasons why I chose to study at Wittenborg was the possibility to interact with so many different nationalities,” she says.

Samarakoon also highlights how important Wittenborg’s practical approach to education has been for her professional development, stressing her one-year internship at the institution’s Communications Department. “This experience taught me a lot about social media and marketing, and also helped me develop important management and administrative skills. Besides, it gave me really useful insights when I was doing my graduation assignment, which is about the influence of social media marketing on restaurant branding in Sri Lanka.”

When it comes to the challenges she had to face during the programme, Samarakoon mentions the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was a difficult time, because I had to study from home for one and a half years, and I missed interacting with my classmates and lecturers. Besides, even the exam systems had to be changed, and we had to adapt to that.”

She advises students to be proactive and participative, because this will be beneficial for their careers. “It is always good to engage with the lecturers, because they might help you in the future. Also, try to interact with the other students as much as you can, because they come from different cultures and can share different experiences and perspectives, which will help you broaden your horizons.”

Finally, when asked about her dreams, Samarakoon says that she would like to be an internationally recognised business professional. “Meanwhile, I will go on studying and becoming more qualified. My first goal is to do a master’s in finance, but I will pursue other programmes after that, because education is really important in life.”

WUP 5/1/2022
by Ulisses Sawczuk
©WUAS Press