Leaders

Interior design is an art form that transforms spaces. It is a constant search for something unique, functional, beautiful, and off-the-charts when it comes to interior solutions. There is a need to consistently innovate, evolve, and transform while ensuring client demands are met. Daunting as it sounds, it is these very challenges and scope to push oneself that made Elisha Gomes choose this field. A second-generation entrepreneur and business leader, Elisha initially had a different career path in mind.

A celebrated sportsperson, Elisha has led the Sri Lankan synchronized swimming team to the finals at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. She was also a participant in the Asian Games in 2006 and 2010, and was the youngest athlete at the 2006 games. An undergrad from Manchester Business School, she went on to do her Master’s in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Management at Imperial College, London. After returning to Sri Lanka, she worked at one of the most esteemed apparel firms. Eventually, she decided to join the family business and become a part of Westgate Interiors. Founded by Dehara Gomes, Westgate Interiors is a family-run corporate interior design and fit-out firm with a rich legacy spanning over three decades. The company is considered the undisputed market leader of the Sri Lankan corporate interior design sector. After taking the helm, Elisha has been able to help the firm navigate through the pandemic and economic crisis quite powerfully. Under her inspiring leadership, Westgate Interiors has achieved further growth, including unprecedented increases in annual revenue.

In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneurs Review, Elisha sheds light on her current responsibilities at the firm, her accomplishments, and much more.

Introduce us to Westgate Interiors. As the CEO, what are the various roles and responsibilities you shoulder at the firm?

Westgate Interiors was founded over 35 years ago, by my mother Dehara Gomes. Today, we are one of the leading corporate interior design firms in Sri Lanka with over 100 employees, including our in-house design and manufacturing teams. Our end-to-end design to manufacture solutions are supported through a fully automated factory that is spread over 50,000 square feet. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs who have always valued the premise of design and creativity, I grew up being fascinated by that world.

Taking over Westgate Interiors 5 years ago was a major stepping stone, and has been a rollercoaster of a journey since then. CEOs tend to wear many hats, and I am no different. However, my goal has been holistic growth from day one, and all strategies have been adapted to achieve just that.

My business background has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of key investments and organizational growth. Analyz­ing every business detail from raw material procurement to primary proj­ect manage­ment processes helped the company with significant bottom-line improvements. I also believe that innova­tion is what keeps us ahead of the competition. Whether it is design technology or product innovation, I look into consistently integrating innovation into our work cul­ture to serve clients better.

At any given point in time, I am aware of where each project stands. Being a hands-on leader allows my team the confidence to improvise, while our client needs are taken care of throughout their journey with Westgate Interiors. Lastly, I overlook the recruitment process. As a leader, it's my responsibility to build the right team and provide a productive work environment, because that is the day-to-day foundation upon which our organization can thrive.

As a professional who works in the interior design industry, where do you draw inspiration from?

Inspiration is everywhere. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in many cultures, and it is amazing how design has evolved throughout the world. It is also a matter of perspective, because you and I may look at the same space and see two different things. Whether it's a store in London or a restaurant in Morocco, inspiration is everywhere. I also attend many galleries courtesy of my artist friends, and that has always been a significant form of inspiration. I also take my team to various exhibitions overseas, not only to get inspired but also to be educated on latest industry trends.

All our projects are a collaborative effort between us and our clients, so the inspiration flows two ways. When working with our international clients, we prioritize understanding cultural nuances and work to ensure the designs convey the same. Our approach definitely varies from client to client.

Post-COVID-19, the interior design landscape has gone through a massive transformation. Today, clients expect every space to be multifunctional, which is a testament to the change in work culture and flex hours. Employees also expect a more serene work environment, and this is an aspect we now weave into the overall design. It is broadly done through incorporating foliage and natural color palettes, but of course, varies from one project to the next.

What are some of the most critical challenges you encounter as a young entrepreneur in the Sri Lankan interior design landscape and how do you mitigate them?
Sourcing is one of our key challenges. We offer both fit-out services and turnkey solutions, so materials are a crucial part of our process. Being largely dependent on the Sri Lankan local market can be limiting for both our creative scope and versatility in terms of quality. So, we have opted for sourcing our materials directly from the international vendors. This is where the need for an extremely capable procurement unit comes into play. We also face the challenge of high import taxes on sourcing because we are essentially procuring in dollars and selling in rupees. The overall material charges increase substantially due to these taxes, compelling us to work on other factors to bring the overall cost down. The government also banned numerous materials, so we had a significant crisis in terms of material availability for our projects. This was extremely challenging because even if we made the executive decision to absorb higher costs, we would not have access to certain raw materials.