EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Shimara Azhar is a Management Consultant, corporate trainer, and experiential learning specialist with over 17 years of experience across banking, finance, insurance, training, and education. Holding an MBA (UK) and MSLIM, she is widely recognized for her work in leadership development, digital education, and women empowerment initiatives in Sri Lanka.
She currently serves as the Country Head of Operations at Pathfinder EdTech Sri Lanka, while also leading adventure-based training and leadership development programs through Che Adventure, delivering impactful programs for corporates, youth, and women leaders across the country.
Q: You work across EdTech, consulting, adventure-based learning, and women empowerment. How do these areas connect?
Shimara Azhar:
All these areas are connected by one purpose empowering people to realise their full potential. At Pathfinder EdTech, we focus on future-ready digital and professional skills. Through Che Adventure, I use experiential, adventure-based learning to develop leadership in real environments. My women empowerment programs integrate confidence building, leadership presence, communication, resilience, and self-belief areas where experiential learning creates deep, lasting impact.
Q: What does your role at Pathfinder EdTech Sri Lanka involve?
As Head of Operations, I lead operational strategy, partnerships, and program execution to ensure high-quality, industry-aligned education delivery. Pathfinder EdTech is committed to bridging education and employability by equipping learners with digital skills, leadership capabilities, and global exposure. My focus is on building systems that support scale, quality, and measurable outcomes.
Q: Tell us about your adventure-based training work at Che Adventure.
(A) Through Che Adventure, I design and deliver adventure-based leadership programs for corporates, youth leadership initiatives, and women-focused groups across Sri Lanka. These programs move learning beyond classrooms into outdoor and experiential settings where participants develop confidence, decision-making skills, trust, emotional intelligence, and resilience.
For women participants especially, these programs are transformative helping them break internal barriers, step into leadership with confidence, and rediscover their personal power through challenge and achievement.
Q: How do women empowerment programs differ from traditional leadership training?
Women empowerment is not about motivation alone it’s about capability, mindset, and safe challenge. My programs address communication confidence, leadership presence, work life integration, emotional resilience, and self-advocacy. When combined with experiential and adventure-based elements, women learn to trust themselves, lead under pressure, and take ownership of their growth both professionally and personally.
Q: Why is experiential learning so effective for youth and women leaders?
(A) Because experience removes fear. Youth and women often underestimate their ability until they are placed in situations that demand action. Experiential learning builds confidence through doing, not listening. It creates belief and belief is the foundation of leadership.
Q: As a management consultant, what is your guiding philosophy?
(A) Strategy succeeds only when people are confident enough to execute it. My consulting approach blends business strategy, leadership development, experiential learning, and inclusion-focused growth particularly supporting women and emerging leaders to step into decision-making roles with clarity and courage.
Q: Your message to organisations, women, and young leaders in Sri Lanka?
(A) Leadership begins the moment you choose courage over comfort. Whether you are a professional, a young leader, or a woman stepping into a new role believe in your capability, embrace challenge, and commit to continuous growth. Transformation happens when learning becomes lived experience.
