Senela Jayasuriya is Founder and CEO of Women Empowered Global and Founder of 1 Million Women in Power, and Managing Director of Diverse, an innovation consulting firm specializing in innovation strengths assessment and innovation coaching.
Senela Jayasuriya has been recognized by the Women Economic Forum as an Exceptional Women of Excellence and honored with the Women Icons Asia Award. She is a leadership expert specializing in DEI and innovation. She is a multi-award winning global CEO specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and innovation.
To her, success is making a difference and empowering others to do the same. She is an ambassador for the United States Presidential Service Center and focuses on DEI training and advocacy programs. She is also a media and communications consultant for the Office of the Royal Family in the United Arab Emirates.
Senela Jayasuriya is a certified transformation coach, certified SIX ‘I’s® innovation consultant and personal agility expert. She was formerly a country director for a technology company and a communications director for a Fortune 100 company. In 2018, she transitioned from corporate to full-time entrepreneurship. In twelve months, she scaled the company from a 2-person local team to a global team across Africa, Europe, South Asia, and North America.
Senela Jayasuriya Lecture Topics
- Building an inclusive and culturally competent team and management style
Senela Jayasuriya shares personal anecdotes and practical tips on how to build an inclusive team, such as actively seeking diversity in hiring, providing cultural competency training, and fostering open communication. She also highlights the importance of being willing to learn and grow as a leader and encourages leaders to be open to feedback and willing to make changes to their management style to better support their diverse team.
- Self-leadership for working women pursuing the career ladder
Senela Jayasuriya emphasizes that women face unique challenges in leadership roles, including juggling multiple responsibilities, gender bias, stereotypes and self-limiting beliefs that can hinder progress. Developing self-power, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-care, self-motivation, and self-discipline are essential principles for effective self-leadership. Additionally, the speaker encourages working women to explore blind spots, seek mentorship, support, and opportunities for growth and development.
- Surviving to thriving: Strategies for women in Male dominated industries
Senela Jayasuriya encourages women to not let their gender hold them back and to use their unique perspectives to add value to their teams and companies. By following these strategies, women can succeed and thrive in their careers despite the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry. The speaker inspires you to look at strategies that will help you make your shift in your mind and actions to transform from survival mode to highly intentional success.
- Navigating Parenthood and a Career: Insights for Working Mothers
Senela Jayasuriya shares personal anecdotes and practical tips to help working mothers balance their personal and professional lives. She highlights the benefits of flexible work arrangements and encourages employers to be more supportive of working parents.
- Bring out the Leader & Power in You
Senela Jayasuriya also highlights the importance of overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome and encourages women to support and uplift other women in their leadership journeys. The speech aims to inspire and empower women to recognize their potential as leaders and to take actionable steps towards achieving their leadership goals.
Senela Jayasuriya has coached teams at the World Bank, the United Nations, and Fortune 500 companies. She has been invited as a global keynote speaker and panelist to numerous local and international events and summits to share her experiences, ideas and inspiration on DEI and women’s career development, entrepreneurship, and innovation and leadership. Senela is also a judge, speaker and mentor at various startup events and incubator programs nationally and internationally. She has been featured and interviewed in magazines, podcasts, television programs and panels in the US, UK, Norway, Germany, Australia, Africa, Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and other countries.
Senela Jayasuriya is among 13 trailblazing women from 13 countries around the world featured in the book “𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥” released during Global Entrepreneurship Week in the US! The goal of the movement is to improve gender equality in international trade. Senela was featured in the USPSC’s documentary “𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐞” with the White House, as well as the documentary “𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚” premiered for Women@Work.
Global Awards and Recognition:
- Global Women in Leadership Award 2022, GCPIT
- G100 Country Chair für Vielfalt, Gleichberechtigung und Integration, 2022
- eYs Magazine Botschafterin für IWD 2022, Australien
- Außergewöhnliche Frauen der Exzellenz, WEF 2018
- 2018 Auszeichnung “Women Icons Asia”, Singapur
- CMO Asien “SL Women Leadership Award – 2018”
- Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All, WEF 2017
- Spezielle Anerkennungsplakette von The GSEW in New York,