My favourite UWA memories
I was fortunate to make friends and meet people from all over the world during my time at UWA from 2011-to 2012. Campus life was great since I have a knack for the arts, I joined the UWA Pantomime Society and took part in one of their productions in 2012. I worked with a great cast and crew full of other young, talented, and committed individuals, which made it a semester to remember. Furthermore, taking part in PROSH was exciting since we dressed in costume and travelled around Perth while raising funds for some great causes in the process.
My passion for sport
I would like to get back to freelance sports broadcasting (cricket and tennis) after the COVID-19 situation improves. It is exciting to interview players, assess playing conditions, or have a producer in your ear reminding you of impending commercial breaks! I consider it a privilege to analyse and inform viewers of a contest between skilled athletes as it unfolds in real-time.
My career has been anything but predictable
I began by managing social media accounts, which didn’t become popular until the late 2000s. I have already worked in multiple industries but the end goal is the same- you want your brand to be viewed as a key player in your industry by the right stakeholders. How you do it is based on the resources you have. Managing budgets, time, working out to meet those demands using your expertise, bouncing off ideas, and getting support from your colleagues is a stimulating affair each day.
Where could it go from here: I’ve gotten back into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and it’s refreshing to see how the field has developed in the last few years. I would love to get into voice search. With the rise of AI-based assistants (e.g., Siri, Cortana, and Alexa) it’s fascinating to observe which companies are seizing the opportunity to make voice search an integral part of their marketing activities.
If you could share one piece of advice with a first-year student, on their first day at UWA, what would it be?
You are fortunate to visit a place where you meet people your age, many of whom have a diverse range of interests. Shake off the nerves, embrace it wholeheartedly and make friends, as that skill becomes more useful later in life.
Who is Shehan Dias?
Shehan Dias is a Senior Marketing Officer in the Corporate Marketing team at WSO2, the leader in digital transformation. He works alongside several verticals to develop content to inform, inspire, drive effective CTA’s, and help raise the company’s brand to new heights.
After working in two continents in multiple industries, Shehan believes that seeking to understand stakeholders, working to resolve pain points, while balancing expectations is the ideal way to land a win-win solution for all parties.
Shehan has worked on several projects to build and elevate brands in Non-Profit Organizations, Insurance, Environmental Conservation, and Hospitality. Furthermore, he has sharpened his crisis communications skills in trying circumstances.
In addition to his extensive experience in Marketing, Shehan is an accomplished compeer and freelance sports broadcaster.