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Dr. Dilip Abayasekera is not only a man with a vision; he is a man of hope. He believes he knows of a way to make the world a better place, and he is doing everything in his power to realise this dream. Recently elected the International President of Toastmasters, he is only the second non-American to ever lay claim to this title.

President 2005-2006, Dr. Abayasekera was recently in Sri Lanka as the chief guest at Ovations 2006, a convention organised by the Sri Lanka chapter of Toastmasters International. Though well known, Toastmasters are often dismissed as a glorified coaching class for speech making. Yet Dr. Abayasekera candidly reveals that Toastmasters provide more than just a life skill, it provides a whole way of life. “Are we a public speaking group? Yes, we are, but it’s about more than that… we look at the development of the full human being.”

Dr. Abayasekera holds that “something magical happens when we first learn to express ourselves”. He links this experience to dramatic improvements in self-confidence and awareness, leading in turn to improved performances at work, better relationships at home and a general enrichment of life itself. Explaining his Presidential theme for the year ‘Find your voice. Serve your world’, he says, “in finding your voice, you discover your potential and the joy of achievement. In serving your world, you help others discover their potential”.

Once a pupil of Royal College, Colombo, Dr. Abayasekera went on to university in the U.S. Despite having chosen to study science, he was always a communicator at heart, something he attributes to his genes – in particular to his mother Anne Abayasekera, who is also known for her excellent speeches.

Having been enrolled in numerous public speaking classes when he was younger, Dr. Abayasekera, found no reason to stop once he had left home. “All my electives in college used to be on public speaking,” he says. Despite his unusually strong interest in the subject, Dr. Abayasekera continued on his chosen career path, going on to earn a Ph.D in chemistry.

While Dr. Abayasekera freely admits to being a good speaker, he’s also very open about why this is so. “You must remember that your audience is the reason you are speaking,” he says, explaining that words have the power to strum the strings of the heart… to lift people up… to give hope to their dreams”. Finally, he offers this “Everyone can do it.” Of course, it needs practice and more practice. “You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to try,” he says.

Embracing what he refers to as the ‘philosophy of public speaking,’ Dr. Abayasekera rapidly became an increasingly adept and charismatic speaker. So much so, that in 1992 he came second in the World Championship of Public Speaking. The win opened up a slew of opportunities for him.

Soon the number of conferences and seminars he was asked to speak at grew and grew. Then one day at a New York City conference, an elderly couple sent him a note in which they called his speech a “spiritual impetus for living”. In that moment Dr. Abayasekera had discovered not only what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, but why he wanted to do it. So, after working for nearly 12 years as an industrial scientist, he switched professions. His belief that everyone has it in them remains unshaken. “Greatness is not out there,” says Dr. Abayasekera, tapping his chest, “It is in here!”

Today, Dr. Abayasekera – an active Toastmaster for nearly two decades – is a very well known professional speaker, trainer and speech coach. He is also the head of the company Speaker Services Unlimited, which caters to the needs of both individuals and companies. To him, the spiritual reward he receives from his work is still what he counts the most important. He has set in motion numerous chains of compassion and courage by simply helping a number of people discover their voice. “To learn to speak is to learn to live,” he says.