
Asanka Gunarathne
Senior Apparel Sourcing & Merchandising | Product Development | Costing & Production | Supplier & Factory Management | Strategic Sourcing | Cambodia & Asia
I am a senior apparel sourcing, merchandising, product development, and manufacturing professional with 20+ years of experience across Sri Lanka and Cambodia, working with customers, suppliers, manufacturers, and cross-functional teams across the complete apparel product lifecycle.
My career has developed across technical, merchandising, sourcing, product development, operations, and production management roles, giving me a broad understanding of both the commercial and manufacturing sides of the apparel industry.
Today, I help customers and manufacturing partners translate product concepts into commercially viable, production-ready apparel—from initial development and material selection through costing, sourcing, supplier development, production, and final delivery.
My core areas of expertise include:
Strategic Apparel Sourcing & Manufacturing, Product Development & Commercialization, Merchandising & Customer Management, Costing, Pricing & Commercial Negotiation, Supplier & Factory Development
Off-Site Production Management, Production Planning & Supply Chain Coordination, Fabric, Material & Trim Sourcing, Quality, Delivery & Risk Management, Process Improvement & Operational Excellence, Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Management, Cambodia & Asian Manufacturing
I particularly enjoy working with customers in the early stages of product development, where the right decisions on materials, construction, manufacturing capability, costing, and sourcing strategy can significantly impact the final product and commercial outcome.
My approach is practical and commercially focused: understand the customer's requirements, identify the right manufacturing solution, establish a competitive cost, ensure production readiness, and manage execution through to delivery.
With experience spanning both technical and commercial functions, I am able to bridge the gap between product development, manufacturing, and business requirements.
I am interested in connecting with apparel brands, retailers, sourcing organizations, manufacturers, suppliers, and industry professionals who are exploring manufacturing and sourcing opportunities in Cambodia and across Asia.
If you are looking for a manufacturing partner, sourcing solution, product development capability, or simply want to exchange ideas about the apparel industry in Asia, I would be pleased to connect.
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Career

Merchandising & Off-site Production Manager
(Feb 2022- to date)
Indochine Apparel (Cambodia) Limited

Pactics Cambodia Co., Ltd, Cambodia.
(Sister Company of Pactics Group)
Merchandising & Product Development Manager (Jan 2020 to date)
Operations Manager
(Jan 2017 to Dec 2019)
Sourcing & Merchandising Manager`
(July 2016 - Jan 2017)
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Senior Sourcing Merchandiser
(May 2015- Jul 2016)
Crystal Martin International (Cambodia) Limited
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Hela Clothing (Pvt) Ltd - Sri Lanka
(July 2004 - April 2015)
Senior Merchandiser Feb 2011 - Apr 2015
Merchandiser Jun 2010 - Feb 2011
Junior Merchandiser Feb 2009 - Jun 2010)
Fabric Technologist Jan 2006 - Jan 2009
Fabric Inspector July 2004 - Jan 2006





Education

Master in Business Administration
Asia e University Malaysia

Executive MSc. In Strategic Marketing
(2019)
Asia e University Malaysia


National Diploma in Technology (2003)
University of Moratuwa


Diploma in Project Management
(2018)
IBMI- Berlin, Germany
Licenses & Certifications




Core Skills & Competencies
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Marketing
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Competitor Analysis
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Strategic Business Reviews
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Mentoring & Assessing
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Developing New Markets
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Strategic Planning
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Business Development
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Policy Deployment
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Operational Management
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Product Launch
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Project Management
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Production Management
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Cost Control
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Performance Management
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Financial Management
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Implementing Policies
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Lean Manufacturing
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Process Improvements
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Operational Analytic
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Financial Performance
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Employee Retention
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Business Finance
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Resource Management
Financial & Profit Management- Sourcing metrics & systems, Administration, Multitasking, Process excellence and improvement, Critical thinking, Quality assurance management., Cost estimation, Trend analysis, Budgeting, Forecasting, Project and risk management., Priority management., Value generation
Merchandising Skills - Merchandising, Negotiating, Operational efficient, Meeting deadlines, Liaising retailing & management principles, Fashion coordination & promotion, Visual & Specialty merchandising, Retail buying.
Sourcing Skills - Supply Chain & Procurement management., Vendor contracting & Negotiating. Performance management., Strategic sourcing planning & Execution, global category plan, Market intelligence, Supplier prospecting
Management Skills - Leadership, Supervision, Decisive, Organizational, Delegation, Results Driven, Building Winning Teams, Strong ethics, Problem-solving, Honest, Discretion, Time & conflict management., Training/ Coaching, Diverse cultural management.
Operational Skills - Strategic agility, Factory operation, Designing, Pattern marking, Warehouse, Production, QC, Revenue, Attention to detail, Best practices, Compliance, Regulations, Forecasting, Budgeting, Cost & price management., Collaboration, Managing priorities, Critical thinking, functional & technical Skills, Project management., Succession planning, Demand & production planning, Continuous improvement, Training & talent development, Governance compliance.
Communication Skills - Written/Verbal, Interpersonal, Presentation, Client/ Stakeholder relationship management, Interaction, Inter dept coordination, Demeanor, Cross-functional coordination, Consultative communication










