Becker Business Podcast: Business Leader in the Spotlight – Ranil Herath of Shorelight

Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Scott Becker
Guest: Ranil Herath, Chief Revenue Officer, Shorelight

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Ranil Herath, a seasoned growth leader, advisor, and board member, currently Chief Revenue Officer at Shorelight. Host Scott Becker leads a candid discussion on business transformation, scaling organizations, leadership through uncertainty, the role of boards, and the impacts of technology—especially AI and data—on business strategy. Herath’s global experience, insights on building winning teams and cultures, and principles for impact-driven leadership are shared throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Guest Introduction and Background

[00:45-02:17]

• Ranil Herath introduces himself as CRO at Shorelight, supporting U.S. universities in diversifying revenue and enhancing global outreach.
• Board roles include the Harvard Medical School’s Building the Future of Workforce Health, and several edtech and health tech ventures.
• Prior work includes founding the healthcare division at Emeritus, scaling high-revenue university partnerships, and transformation roles at Global Education ($100M-$600M companies).
• Notable Quote:
  “Showlite is a company that invests capital and our operational expertise to help US Universities diversify their revenue streams and really expand their global reach.” (Herath, 00:56)

2. Growth and Transformation – What Works

[02:17-04:17]

• Crystallize Direction & Develop Conviction: Great leaders quickly clarify direction and align stakeholders.
  “The best leaders crystallize the direction very fast and they develop conviction early—whether it’s a turnaround or scale up... align the board, key players, and your executive team early.” (Herath, 02:52)
• Establish Cadence: Implement a rhythm for driving results, whether in communication, pipeline, or tech adoption.
• Team & Culture: Build the right team and culture, quickly and deliberately—a consistent formula for success.

3. Scaling Up: Team Building and Common Mistakes

[04:17-06:24]

• Hiring Pace: Mistakes often occur by hiring too fast or too slow during scaling.
  Example: In 2021, rapid hires were necessary for revenue growth during favorable capital markets, but a quick pivot was required in 2022 to focus on margins when markets shifted.
• Operational Flexibility: Companies must adjust talent strategies in response to changing business realities.
  “We had to flip very quickly to staffing and operational realities...moving from driving revenue growth to driving operational margin.” (Herath, 05:18)

4. Differences in Scaling Startups vs. Large Enterprise Transformations

[06:24-09:06]

• Large Enterprises:
  • Identify and elevate internal high-potential talent.
  • Inject new "muscle"—skills suited to new strategic directions.
  • Example: Shorelight’s shift to a marketing-led digital platform, combining long-standing expertise with new digital skills.
• Startups:
  • Entire teams are new; speed and chemistry among first hires are vital.
  • “Most of the team that were hired as the founding team were people that I had worked with before. So that helps…we already have chemistry.” (Herath, 08:25)

5. Leadership in Volatile, Uncertain Times

[09:06-12:54]

• Embrace Volatility: Opportunities for transformation are greatest during volatility—clarity, speed, and creativity are essential.
• Case #1 – Pandemic Pivot: Shifted an in-person healthcare business development team to remote, quickly regaining performance through new approaches and enhanced productivity.
• Case #2 – Visa Processing Freeze: During a complete international student visa pause, Shorelight reimagined student communications and accelerated go-to-market transformations to recover from disruption.
• Notable Quote:
  “The volatility can be your best friend if you embrace it decisively. It’s when you have clarity, speed and creativity.” (Herath, 09:57)

6. Board Impact: Driving Value Beyond Governance

[12:54-15:12]

• Governance is the baseline; impactful boards add value via:
  • Strategy and Execution Guidance
  • Network Access: Connect founders to business communities, talent, advice.
  • Speed of Execution
• Between-Meeting Value: Much of a board’s value comes in real-time, not just at meetings.
  “Advice, access, strategy—three of the things... value creation... happens quite a bit in between board meetings as well.” (Herath, 14:51)

7. AI, Automation, and Data in Growth Strategy

[15:12-17:20]

• AI is now a top boardroom topic: adoption, policy, and strategy are essential.
• Boards require AI literacy and must rigorously oversee AI as they do finances.
• Balancing Act: Combine the velocity/insight of AI and data with human judgment for optimal value.
• Notable Quote:
  “AI will give you velocity, data gives you visibility... but it’s the leadership and your instinct and insights that... gives value to the company.” (Herath, 17:05)

8. Personal Principles for Leadership & Effectiveness

[17:20-20:06]

• Herath’s “Personal Trifecta”:
  1. Impact: Can I have a sizable impact?
  2. Learning: Am I going to learn something new and expand myself?
  3. People: Will I enjoy working with these people?
• Using this framework keeps Herath energized, effective, and principled.
• Notable Quote:
  “Those three things are the three filters I use to assess an opportunity... That's really helped me to stay energized.” (Herath, 18:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On scaling culture and team:
  “Build the right team, right culture and the right cadence...I think that's the winning formula.” (Herath, 03:36)
• On volatility as advantage:
  “During volatility, you can not only transform your organization, but potentially... your entire industry segment.” (Herath, 10:06)
• On board’s impact:
  “The value creation that the board contributes happens quite a bit in between board meetings...” (Herath, 14:51)

Important Timestamps

• [00:45] – Herath’s introduction and background
• [02:48] – What makes organizations grow vs. stall
• [04:49] – Common mistakes in scaling teams
• [06:24] – Contrasts between scaling startups and large enterprises
• [09:54] – Bold leadership in times of crisis
• [13:40] – Boards driving business value
• [15:46] – AI’s increasing role in business growth and board governance
• [18:19] – “Personal Trifecta” for career engagement and effectiveness

Tone & Language

Herath is direct, thoughtful, and candid—emphasizing clarity, adaptability, and a principled approach to leadership and growth. The conversation is practical, with a strong focus on actionable insights valuable to business leaders, board members, and growth-focused professionals.

For Listeners

This episode offers pragmatic strategies for navigating transformation, building resilient organizations, leveraging technology responsibly, and prioritizing purposeful leadership—insights suited for executives, board members, and anyone steering growth or transformation in uncertain times.