TC’s Most Influential Tamils of 2015: Sivan Ilangko

As an Associate Partner at Ernst & Young (E&Y), active member of several community organizations, and father of two children, Sivan Ilangko is often asked the question “how do you do it?” While many would feel a rush of anxiety glancing at his calendar, Sivan would be the first to tell you that “there is always a way.”

Having faced several challenges and setbacks on the road to establishing a successful accounting career, Sivan has immersed himself in a range of community work with the hope of being able to offer young Tamil professionals career guidance, and to inspire the next generation of Tamil-Canadians to involve themselves in their communities and make positive changes.

Originally from Naranthani, a small village on the island of Kayts in Sri Lanka, Sivan once had dreams of becoming a lawyer. After graduating from the prestigious Jaffna Hindu College, he was admitted to the University of Colombo’s Faculty of Law. However, due to the increasingly hostile political situation occuring throughout the country in the 1980s, the university closed its doors indefinitely.

Uncertain about when the university would re-open and with years passing as he waited, Sivan noticed his housemate in Colombo attending classes at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL). In what would begin as an outlet to spend time until he could enter law school, Sivan decided to attend classes at the institute on the weekends while taking a job as an entry level accounting clerk.

With nothing to lose, Sivan wrote his first Chartered Accountancy exam and passed on his first try. An unexpected surprise to someone who had not previously held any accounting aspirations, he went on to write and pass his second CA exam. After being advised by his cousin who was an established CA, he made the decision to pursue accounting wholeheartedly and did not look back.

Soon afterwards, he applied for positions at E&Y and KPMG in Colombo and received offers from both firms; deciding to take a position with the latter. A few weeks later, the University of Colombo re-opened. Despite this coincidence, Sivan was determined to create a successful career as an accountant and wrote the third CA exam, achieving the highest score for the Business and Industrial Law section to recieve the Prize Winner title of the ICASL. Upon passing the remaining two exams, he was granted membership to the ICASL and promoted to manager at KPMG in Colombo.

E&Y representatives from the Middle East approached him soon afterwards to work in their offices in Bahrain. Taking into account the higher salary offered, friends who had moved to the country, and the growing political uncertainty in Sri Lanka, he accepted their offer and made the move overseas in 1995.

However, Sivan’s success and prominence as a manager for KPMG in Sri Lanka would not translate to an esteemed accounting position in the Middle East. Realizing that all the accountants at the firm were equally qualified with diverse professional experiences, Sivan went from being a manager in Sri Lanka to taking a junior position as an accountant in Bahrain. Disheartened but not defeated by this new reality, Sivan immersed himself in his work to regain the title he once held.

When time came to settle down and start a family, Sivan decided to build a life in Canada. Because of the connections he built with E&Y in the Middle East, he was able to get his foot in the door at their Toronto office.

However, with another overseas move came a new set of challenges. In Canada, Sivan’s CA designation from Sri Lanka was not transferable. He would not be able to hold the manager position he had held in Sri Lanka and worked hard to regain in Bahrain. Determined to provide a better life for his young family, he swallowed his pride yet again and began the lengthy CA designation process in his mid 30s.

Sivan found himself in his classes surrounded by students in their early 20’s and described this time in his life as demoralizing; he had to re-start his career in Canada in a junior level position when he had already established a successful accounting career in Sri Lanka and the Middle East. However, he would once again rise to the occasion when faced with a career challenge and eventually passed all of the required Canadian CA examinations.

By the time Sivan completed the third and final exam, he was immediately promoted to manager and then senior manager at E&Y Toronto as a result of the firm’s recognition of his tireless work ethic and extensive international accounting experience. After undergoing a thorough interview and evaluation process, the firm named Sivan Associate Partner in 2013.

As one of the first Sri Lankan Tamils to reach this level at one of the world’s top four accounting firms in a North American office, Sivan is the first point of contact for a portfolio of clients in the financial services industry. His work for clients include: managing relationships on behalf of the firm, leading teams to address their auditing needs, revenue planning and profitability management, as well as ensuring compliance with accounting and auditing standards on all financial statements. Additionally, he assists the professional development of E&Y staff by providing performance evaluations and mentorship to junior employees.

In 2006, he joined E&Y’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards committee which grants a highly esteemed award in the business industry that recognizes talent in turning entrepreneurial visions into successful business models. Today, Sivan manages the nominations under the financial services category for the province of Ontario.

This desire to help others reach professional excellence soon spiraled into Sivan joining community organizations that foster youth leadership and professional talent including: The Centre of Leadership and Innovation – featured in a TC article for its mentorship workshops for Tamil youth in the Toronto area, as well as Ascend Canada – an organization that promotes leaders of Asian descent in the Canadian corporate community.

However, Sivan’s involvement with community organizations does not stop there. While having developed an enjoyment and passion for inspiring and empowering young professionals, he has also offered his leadership to: The Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce, The Canadian Tamil Congress, The Stouffville Multicultural Association, and The Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario.

Generating visibility for himself within and beyond the Tamil-Canadian community, Sivan stands as an example of how Tamil-Canadians can take positions of mainstream leadership and make valuable contributions to their society.

As he stated at the conclusion of our interview, “I want to be a part of giving the next generation of Tamils in Canada a history they can be proud of, and empower Tamil youth to become successful individuals.”

Through his perservance on the road to career success, commitment to guide young Tamil professionals, and vision of setting an example for Tamil-Canadians to integrate and create positive change in their communities, Sivan has proven himself to be a notable professional and community leader worthy to be among TC’s Most Influential Tamils of 2015.