By making two pivotal career moves, Vidusha Ratnayake has had the career success most of us dream of. Find out how being bold can pay off professionally.
Vidusha (Vidu) Ratnayake is a career high-flyer! At just 25 years old, she oversees the safe and efficient travel of more than 1.6 million aviation passengers each year across 400 flights per week while simultaneously managing the logistics of sharing an airfield with the Australian Department of Defense.
It’s an incredible flight to the top for someone so young, and Vidu says her success is all down to making some bold decisions early on in her career:
“You have to be brave and always look out for new challenges and experiences – that’s how to get the most from your career.”
In less than four years of working for Queensland Airports Limited (QAL), Vidu has been nominated for an impressive seven High-Flyer Awards and won twice! Her managers say she has “demonstrated exemplary performance” in upholding the company’s values to be Authentic, Brave, Inclusive and Responsible.
When we caught up with Vidu, we could immediately see how she lives by these values, both professionally and personally.
The positive power of embracing change
Vidu has always made bold career choices, even while she was still at school. Having wanted to pursue a career in aviation from a young age, as soon as she graduated, Vidu relocated almost 5,000 miles (8,000 km) across the world to follow her dream.
“I made the brave decision to move from Sri Lanka to Australia when I was just eighteen years old to study a degree in Aviation Management. Being so far from my family, I relied wholly on air travel to stay connected to them. I quickly realized how crucial the aviation industry is in keeping people connected across Australia and beyond.”
While at university, Vidu was accepted into QAL’s internship program, where her hard work and dedication were recognized with the Highly Commended Work Integrated Learning Placement Award. During the program, Vidu’s passion for aviation was cemented, and shortly afterward, she made her second pivotal career move.
On gaining her Bachelor’s degree – with an award for Academic Excellence – she took up a position at Mount Isa Airport in the Australian outback. Far from friends and family, 2000 km inland and in an area she knew nothing about.
It was a role many may have passed on, but Vidu saw it as an unbeatable opportunity to develop her skills and experience:
“I had a rocky start – I was hours away from friends and didn’t know anything about that part of Australia – and my car got stolen in my first week! But I was keen to get my foot in the airport door, and I’m so glad I decided to join the team at Mount Isa Airport.”
In less than a year, Vidu was promoted from Senior Administration Officer to Aviation Regulatory Compliance Officer. After that, she transferred to Townsville Airport on Australia’s eastern coast. It was here that Vidu’s career really took off.
Less than four years after completing her degree, she is Townsville Airport’s Operations and Standards Manager.
Questioning the status quo and promoting innovation
Just because something has always been done one way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. When Vidu realized how digitization could improve efficiency at Townsville Airport, she jumped straight in.
“I saw how resources were being stretched in smaller airports like Mount Isa and Townsville, so I developed a way to streamline some of our operational reporting standards. Digitizing this process has increased efficiency and improved quality outcomes across the airport.”
Vidu has since helped implement these changes across all of QAL’s smaller airports (Townsville, Mount Isa, and Longreach). She is frequently called on to share her learnings with other regional and remote airports across Australia, speaking at round tables and presenting to other industry professionals on the transformational outcomes of embracing digitization.
One of Vidu’s main observations from her role at Mount Isa Airport was seeing first-hand how essential air travel is – both for the future growth of Australia and for the progress and equity of all Australians.
“While working at Mount Isa Airport, I saw how critical having a local airport is for remote regions. It’s essential for the economy, supporting investment, jobs, and access to healthcare. It’s a vital tool for helping create equal opportunities for all Australians.”
Vidu actively champions diversity and inclusion through her Australian Airports Association’s Women in Airports Committee membership. In an industry where leadership roles are traditionally held by men, Vidu is keen to change this reputation and dedicates time to advocating and promoting the aviation industry in the hope of encouraging more women into the sector.
“I always knew the industry was male-dominated, but coming into QAL and seeing all of the women in senior leadership roles was very inspiring. It would be great to see more women in aviation – especially in the technical roles.”
Being from a culturally diverse background, Vidu is keen to create increased visibility for those with different heritages. As a long-standing participant of QAL’s Culture Committee, she is also involved in developing the organization’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.
Queensland Airports Limited is actively looking to create more opportunities for women. 50% of the senior leadership team are women, and 50% of promotions have gone to women in the past 12 months.
Find out more and explore their other inclusive policies and benefits.
Inspiring the next generation
Vidu is passionate about promoting STEM careers, especially encouraging more women in the sector by sharing her stories and experiences.
Vidu has always advocated for careers in Aviation, whether volunteering at career events, visiting local high schools, or contributing to work experience programs for school students at the Airport. One program that is a joint effort with Kyle Morris, Terminal Manager, is where students are provided the opportunity to experience and learn about the various roles available in an airport setting. This ranges from the various roles available at Townsville Airport Ltd to roles in Defence such as Air Traffic Control and Engineering, Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Services, piloting and airport operations roles such as Ground Handling.
She is a driving force behind the Townsville Airport Careers Day:
“Many young people, myself included prior to entering the workforce, are unaware of the variety of roles available in the airports sector. The work experience and careers day programs are a great way to showcase everything an airport has to offer and the importance of the role they play, especially in regional communities. I’ve had a few work experience students come in with career goals focused on mainstream aviation roles like piloting or engineering, but by the end of the program, they discover that roles like being an ARO or ATC might be more exciting!”
Previously, she worked with the Australian Youth Aerospace Association, mentoring for two years at the Australian Youth Aerospace Forum and serving as the Logistics Coordinator and Event Manager for the Queensland Chapter.
It’s evident from her impressive resume that Vidu loves helping others and jumping into new challenges. She encourages everyone to say ‘yes’ more often, as it can open up your career options. Saying ‘yes’ has expanded Vidu’s knowledge across the industry, and her enthusiasm and commitment to learning have won her many awards and qualifications, often well above the requirements of her role.
While at Mount Isa Airport, she gained a DAMP (Drug and Alcohol Management Plan) Supervisor certification, Wildlife Hazard Management certifications, Aerodrome Reporting Officer (ARO) and Works Safety Officer certifications, and her Radio Operators Licence.
“I have always had a passion for aviation and love learning everything about the industry. Experiencing different areas gives me a greater understanding of how my role impacts operations across QAL and helps me connect with colleagues. Starting out at a smaller regional port like ISA gave me the opportunity to cross-train in a variety of different roles. This gave me a deeper understanding of airport operations and valuable experience.”
Leading the way into the future
Going from a QAL intern in 2021 to Operations and Standards Manager three years later is an incredibly impressive accomplishment.
We asked Vidu what her secret to success is:
“Be ambitious and eager to learn, make connections at all levels of the industry so you can learn from others’ experiences, listen to those around you – and, most importantly, have a good sense of humor! Finally, if you have the opportunity to go regional – take it!”
