MTI welcomes back its first team member: Asanka De Silva

03 August 2021 Consultancy.asia

Asian management consultancy MTI Consulting has appointed Scotland-based Asanka De Silva as a Non-Executive Director of the firm’s UK subsidiary.

With a track record of more than 650 projects across 40+ countries since its inception in 1997, MTI Consulting is one of Asia’s leading boutique management consulting firms. The firm advises its clients on topics including strategy and corporate finance, and supports with the implementation of strategic plans in areas such as operations, finance, and digital.

As part of its ambition to grow its market presence in the UK and Western Europe (MTI Consulting has delivered projects in the UK, France, Germany and Holland, among others), the firm has tapped a familiar face: Asanka De Silva.

Asanka De Silva, MTI Consulting

Back in 2000, De Silva was in fact the first hire of the firm’s founder and chief executive officer Hilmy Cader. Based in Sri Lanka, the pair worked on several projects together, including a strategy development project for retailer Triumph. Twenty one years on, Cader said he is “delighted to re-engage with Asanka after so many years.”

In the in-between period, De Silva went on to work for British multinational Reckitt and US giant Coca Cola in Sri Lanka, after which he relocated to the United Kingdom late 2005. Since then, he has worked for Charter Brands, Typhoo Tea, John West and Edrington, then seeing a life changing event turn him into an entrepreneur.

When his mother was diagnosed with liver disease, De Silva was shocked and confused, particularly because his mother was not an alcohol consumer. While doing research to understand more about the disease, he found that there was a gap in the market for a health drink that could reduce the risk of non-alcohol fatty liver disease. LiverHealth UK was born.

LiverHealth UK has since gone from strength to strength, attracting funding from a range of private investors. Today, the firm’s products are available via a number of major retailers including Carrefour and Amazon (online), and its flagship LivOn! brand is – according to its own records – the first antioxidant coffee brand in the world.

In the role of Non-Executive Director, De Silva has been tasked with helping MTI Consulting “explore growth opportunities in the UK and across Europe,” said Cader.