Cultural Transformations

Chapter 4Kris CanekeratneChairman and CEO of Virtusa

It is the disciplined pursuit of less that will give you more.

—John Mattone

KRISHAN A. CANEKERATNE, ALSO KNOWN as Kris, was a driven young man, excelling in not one but two sports in his native Sri Lanka. In the capital city of Colombo, Kris learned early exactly what it takes to succeed in sports at an elite level. And elite he was, becoming Sri Lanka's number one rated player under 16 years in not just table tennis but golf as well. He achieved this when he was just 15 years old.

What Kris realized very early on was that it wasn't just a high level of commitment, hard work, grit, and determination that was necessary to succeed, but also one elusive element: luck.

Fortunately, luck was—and continues to be—on Kris Canekeratne's side.

Indeed, shortly after ranking number one in Sri Lanka for table tennis, a letter arrived at Kris' ancestral home. It was from China. The Chinese government invited Kris to study and play competitive table tennis on a full scholarship in China. What an honor! But Kris did not immediately accept, and instead, sought guidance from his mother. Though he loved the sport and all that came with it, deep down he had reservations. Yes, he loved the camaraderie of being part of a team. Yes, he loved the dedication required to become the best. Yes, he loved the thrill of victory. More than any of that, he loved the leadership skills learned by being captain of both the table tennis and golf teams. But instinct ...