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Re:link news and insights
Series
Re:link news and insights
She moved to the United Kingdom to study Economics and first considered a career in publishing, but a short spell at Condé Nast prompted a change of direction. Drawn instead to the intellectual challenge of law, she completed a conversion course at Guildford Law School, which she remembers fondly: “Two extra years as a student in law school suited me, and I especially loved the intellectual freedom of the course.”
“Being a Mandarin speaker definitely gave me a major edge at the start of my career,” she says. After vacation schemes in the Linklaters offices in Singapore and Hong Kong, Visha joined the firm as a trainee in London and found the stimulating, professional environment she had hoped for. “I have never been the sort of person to do anything half-heartedly,” she says. “My commitment to whatever I embark on has always stemmed from professionalism and passion.” Surrounded by colleagues with the same rigour and attention to detail, Visha quickly felt she was in the right place.
Her time at Linklaters included a two-year spell in the firm’s Hong Kong office. “They were amazing years”, she says, singling out the influence of a mentor and principal, with whom she worked closely on a number of capital markets transactions. “He was a man of many parts, a luxury travel writer among other things, and he showed me it was possible to mix a high-powered day job with outside pursuits and to change direction at any time.”
“At heart, I’m a creative,” she says. “I’m also very entrepreneurial by nature and when I thought about my future working life, I was attracted to the idea of starting my own business.” Visha left Linklaters when she was starting a family but the ambition had already taken root. She knew she wanted to build something of her own when the time was right. “Most creative businesses fold because they lack commercial awareness” she says, “My experiences with law and business gave me the confidence that I would find a way to make my venture successful.”
In 2014, she moved to Singapore and founded The Cinnamon Room a contemporary home décor brand inspired by her life and travels. Its collections drew on details she noticed around the world, from fabrics in Japan to ironwork in Barcelona, and reflected her practical design approach and commitment to thoughtful sourcing, including upcycled outdoor rugs and collaborations with small family-run businesses across Asia.
Eight years later, she co-founded and designed Myla Beach Villa, a luxury beachfront holiday retreat on the south coast of Sri Lanka. Built from the ground up, it was a true passion project and one made more demanding by the practical challenges of construction during Covid-19 and Sri Lanka’s financial crisis. Its completion brought deep personal satisfaction, not least because it realised a long-held ambition.
Set directly on the oceanfront and within easy reach of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle Fort, it offers guests the rare combination of seclusion and access to one of the island’s most vibrant cultural destinations. With serene interiors, sweeping sea views and highly personalised hospitality, including a dedicated team and private chef, the villa is designed to help guests slow down, switch off and feel completely cared for. Visha’s ambition was to create more than a luxury stay. “I wanted the villa to be a meaningful setting for a truly holistic well-being retreat,” she says, “somewhere that would leave guests feeling grounded, nourished and restored.” With that in mind, well-being retreats are now being planned for 2027 for those seeking time out, rest and a genuine reset.
She came across the role of Legal and Compliance Manager at Re:link in London “It looked ideal,” she says. “It was flexible, interesting and at a firm I already knew well.”
Almost 20 years after she had last walked out the doors of Linklaters, she found herself back in familiar surroundings, drawing once again on the skills and professional grounding with which her career had begun. The return also made sense on a deeper level. Re:link’s flexible consulting model, designed to give clients tailored support when and where they need it, appealed strongly to her entrepreneurial instincts. It reflected the same mind-set that had shaped her design and villa businesses: understanding what people need, identifying where something is missing and creating a personalised practical, well-judged solution.
Each chapter has involved understanding people, building trust, spotting opportunities and throwing herself fully into the task at hand. Whether advising clients, launching a home décor brand, creating Myla Beach Villa or returning to legal work through Re:link, she has made choices based on what felt right for her and her family, rather than what might seem the most conventional path. Professional success has always mattered, but so too have creativity, curiosity and the desire to build something meaningful. “I’ve always believed that the most rewarding work is work that feels true to who you are,” Visha says. “For me, that has meant staying open to change, trusting my instincts and making sure that whatever I do, I do it with real passion and purpose.”