This month’s Employee Spotlight shines on Don Edirisinghe, who joined the company in 2022, drawn to HBL’s strong reputation in the skill games industry. To him, it was the HBL’s company culture of professionalism, innovation and strong customer focus that stood out among the rest.
What he values most about his role is the opportunity to work across multiple Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This exposure has allowed him to better understand the diverse markets, cultures and business landscapes, which in turn keeps his role exciting and challenging. Since joining HBL as a Games Manager in 2022, Don’s role has progressively expanded, giving him the chance to lead and manage projects across the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, including well-known destinations such as JBR, Aquaventure, Ain Dubai, Bahrain Bay and Winter Wonderland Kuwait. Each location brought its own challenges and opportunities, helping him sharpen both his strategic thinking and on-ground management capabilities.
Today, Don Edirisinghe serves as a Site Manager who oversees the full scope of end-to-end operations of skill games and arcades. His day-to-day responsibilities range from managing installations and new launches, monitoring sales and revenue performance, and ensuring smooth daily operations while driving performance, efficiency and customer satisfaction. A key aspect of his role also includes analysing market trends and customer behaviours to further enhance guest engagement and maximise results. He collaborates with local partners and stakeholders to ensure seamless project execution while maintaining strong working relationships.
When asked about his proudest achievements, Don shared that successfully leading and delivering large-scale projects across the GCC regions stands out as a memorable milestone. Working across different markets isn’t always easy, but with strong planning, coordination and adaptability, the end result is something Don takes great pride in. Winter Wonderland Kuwait is one such example, where months of hard work and planning are put to the test on opening day. The excitement of the guests, the atmosphere and satisfaction of a successful event make it all worthwhile.
“Successfully launching and stabilising operations in high-profile locations while achieving strong sales performance and operational efficiency is something I’m particularly proud of,” he shared.
Throughout his journey at HBL, Don has undoubtedly faced a range of challenges along the way. With varying local regulations, customer preferences and operational dynamics, he had to quickly adapt to the different work styles while still maintaining company standards. This required flexibility, strong planning and clear communication across teams. Don overcame these challenges by building strong local relationships and ensuring his teams were well-trained and aligned with expectations.
As he approaches his fourth year with HBL, Don Edirisinghe is highly focused on growing into a broader leadership role at a regional or strategic level. The opportunity to contribute to new market launches and regional expansion is something he’s keen to explore and he’s excited to build on his experience to advance his career at HBL.
