Get to know Buddika Hiripitiyage, Director of Software Engineering, in our latest installment of Employee Spotlight!
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Team: Platform – Infrastructure
How long have you been at IFS: 15 years
What brought you to IFS?
After graduating from university in 2004, I started working as a web developer for an online service provider for two years, when one of my friends suggested that I should look into IFS. I took their advice – and good thing I did. While researching the company, IFS stood out as a really great place to work – with opportunities to grow, innovative technology and a great employee culture. The global presence and international customers ticked all my boxes as an aspiring software engineer. To this day, I can still count on my colleagues to have my back even at the eleventh hour – that’s true teamwork.
What’s the most exciting part about your job?
To me, it’s exciting coming to work every day and getting a chance to collaborate with a group of people I call my friends. As a software engineer it’s also great to see our hard work as a team come to fruition, particularly on big product launches like IFS Cloud. What also excites me is the variety my role provides and not to mention – the fantastic coffee in the Colombo office. Can’t wait to grab a cup again soon while catching up with my colleagues.
What has been your favorite moment at IFS so far?
I can clearly remember, it was after my training period when I was told I’d be joining the framework team as a permanent employee. I can honestly say, I have no regrets about joining Team Purple and I’ve truly enjoyed every moment on my development journey at IFS.
What 3 words would you use to describe IFS?
Technology. Equality. Home.
What are we likely to catch you doing on weekends?
You’d likely find me experimenting in a messy kitchen, trying to come up with unique recipes, or wide-eyed at the movies with a bucket of popcorn. The latter now looks more like Netflix at home on the couch with my kids climbing over me!
Where’s the first place you’ll travel after travel restrictions are lifted in your country?
Down South, to the city of Galle, where I grew up as a child. It has a beautiful beach lined with different restaurants and a lighthouse on the southeast tip. I worked at my uncle’s restaurant during my college holidays when I was younger, and especially enjoyed the free lunches!
What’s your favorite holiday?
The Sinhalese New Year, known as Aluth Avurudda, (Sinhala, a public holiday in Sri Lanka) in April is a family favorite as we get to eat homemade sweets and spend time together. The majority of Sri Lanka eats at an ‘Auspicious Time’, which is a ritual of the holiday, so effectively everyone who celebrates eats together. The traditional dish for this holiday is Kiribath (milk rice) which is coconut sticky rice, usually accompanied by other spicy dishes.
Where is your favorite place to eat in your hometown?
My grandmother’s kitchen. She makes the best food on the planet. As kids we were mesmerized watching my grandmother cook, she makes everything by hand, grinding traditional spices – you can tell it brings her so much joy. The meat dishes she cooks are incredible, even though she is vegetarian, I’ve always wondered how she makes them taste so good when she can’t taste test. But by far her most famous dish is her jackfruit curry, I’ve never tasted another that comes close.
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