Flying Over the Glass Ceiling
With a little over two decades of increasing sales, growing bottom lines, and spearheading operational improvements, Dr. Shermika Kuweju is one of the high-flying ladies of the airline industry of Sri Lanka.
Having begun her career in Kuwait at Qatar Airways, Shermika was later transferred to Sri Lanka to join the airline’s finance team, which resulted in her working with a number of other departments including fare construction, reservations, ticketing, and customer care. “This was my eye-opening experience to look into the many viewpoints of ensuring customer satisfaction along with airline profitability,” she remarks.
A Career in Airline Growth
At Thai Airways, her role in the sales and marketing team provided her with substantial experience under a general manager who inspired her to become a target-oriented multitasker. One of her biggest achievements was the flight frequency increase from 5 to 7 flights per week with maximum yield, and she successfully introduced a flexi-pricing system.
Moving to Oman Air as District Sales Manager brought new challenges. She carried the responsibility to establish the airline's presence in the Sri Lankan market and manage Middle Eastern to European sectors with optimal profitability.
"Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others." — Amelia Earhart (Shermika's Career Inspiration)
Leading Turkish Airlines in the Region
As the Regional Manager of Sales and Marketing for Sri Lanka and the Maldives at Turkish Airlines, Dr. Shermika played a pivotal role in driving continuous net sales profit. Under her direction, Turkish Airlines increased its flight frequency from 4 to 14 flights per week, and she secured fifth-freedom rights to operate flights between Sri Lanka and the Maldives, expanding regional connectivity.
She spearheaded international tourism promotion initiatives for Sri Lanka and the Maldives by organizing strategic cross-marketing campaigns and workshops with Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and embassies across Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Corporate & Academic Excellence
Post her aviation leadership, she transitioned to the boardroom as Director of Strategic Initiatives for CIS International Holding Corp., supervising logistics across 18 countries, and later served as Chief Marketing Officer for Ceylon Asset Management, launching mobile applications, rolling out staff insurance policies, and establishing robust social media and digital marketing architectures.
Holding a Doctorate in Strategic Management and as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM), she channels her expertise back into the community as a regular Lecturer in Sales, Marketing, and Branding and as an active Jury Member of the SLIM National Sales Awards.
