From Balance Sheets to a Balanced Planet: My journey from Accounting to Sustainability Leadership

Danushika Samaranayake’s blog text on her journey towards sustainability leadership.

I have a background in Accounting and Finance. With a solid academic foundation in Business Administration, followed by professional qualification from the institute of chartered accountants of Sri Lanka, and over ten years of experience in accounting and finance, I found myself deeply rooted in the business and finance world. I started my professional journey at Ernst & Young as an audit trainee, opening myself up to a dynamic auditing environment of a top global audit firm. Later, I stepped into the corporate sector, where I spent nearly a decade growing my knowledge and expertise in accounting and finance. Back then, my professional life revolved mainly around profits margins, financial statements, targets, risk management and driving financial outcomes.

But over the years, my perspective began to change. My career path has not only broadened my understanding of business finance but also opened my eyes to the growing role of sustainability in shaping responsible businesses. It dawned on me that financial successes, while important, are only part of the story. I came to understand that true corporate success goes beyond the financial achievements and sustainability is at the core of any business that ensures impact, resilience, and longevity. A successful business is not only about profits, but also about the impact it has on people and the planet. This insight was the spark that inspired me to pursue a new path in sustainability discipline. After exploring different paths, I decided to pursue the sustainability leadership master´s program at University of Eastern Finland. It was bold step that has given me the opportunity to earn an internationally recognized degree and to dive into a field that´s reshaping the future of business.

Moving to Finland for my studies was both exciting and overwhelming. It wasn’t just about crossing boarders, it was about entering a new way of learning and living. My first year in the Sustainability Leadership program has been a journey of both inspiring and challenging. Coming from a background of more formal and structured learning, I was truly amazed by the openness, collaboration and student-centred approach of the Finnish educational system, where creativity and interaction thrive. What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to learn with and from my peers. Working with peers from around the world gave me the chance to see sustainability through many different lenses and exposed me to diverse perspectives.

Academically, I deepened my understanding of sustainability and was exposed to concepts that were entirely new to me. The circular economy, sustainability entrepreneurship, and future leadership were subjects I had heard of but never deeply explored. Among all these, the area that most strongly resonated with me was corporate governance and sustainability reporting. With my background in accounting, this field aligns perfectly with my expertise and passion, and it inspired me to focus my master’s thesis on this topic. Additionally, the program built my confidence in research methodologies, equipping me to approach my thesis work with a solid academic foundation. Beyond academic studies, learning Finnish has been both exciting and rewarding. Though it hasn´t been easy, the journey of learning Finnish has been immensely satisfying because it has been a rewarding personal achievement, helping me adapt to a new environment engage with the local community. For me, learning Finnish, too, has been a key part of my first-year journey.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from my learning journey is realizing that sustainability is no longer optional, it now stands at the forefront of global priorities. The real business success goes beyond financial performance; it demands firms to incorporate “sustainability thinking” into every decision. This is where our role as future sustainability leaders truly matters. As emerging leaders, we must turn sustainability thinking into actions that drive meaningful change and continuously commit to create a resilient and sustainable business that create triple-bottom-line value to the people and the planet.

Pursuing this program has shown me that sustainability leadership is about more than learning theorical knowledge, it’s about transforming myself, and my professional role in shaping the future. And for me, the sustainable future is one were people and firms embrace sustainability as an integral part of their purpose and not viewed as separate, but as inseparable. They balance profitability with purpose, and performance with people and the planet ensuring more sustainable and resilient world.

Danushika Samaranayake ([email protected])