Chathuri Nugawela shares her unconventional path from law to procurement in the biopharma industry and how her work at MacroGenics allows her to contribute to a mission that truly impacts lives. From supporting global therapies to giving back to her community, she reflects on the lessons, values, and curiosity that have guided her career.
Chathuri Nugawela, known as Chat to colleagues, is the Senior Planner at MacroGenics, where she’s spent nearly six years navigating procurement and supply chain operations with precision and purpose.
Originally trained in law in the U.K. and the U.S., Chathuri’s career journey has taken her across continents and industries—from trade organizations and policy research in Sri Lanka to international development at the World Bank and corporate procurement in the U.S. Today, she leverages her diverse experience to contribute to keeping MacroGenics’s Supply Chain robust buy sourcing materials for Manufacturing and establishing processes that meet the highest standards.
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Q: How did your career journey lead you to MacroGenics?
I initially trained in law, inspired by my father, but quickly realized that practicing law wasn’t my calling.
My early career took me through organizations- such as: The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce where I was involved with coordinating Commercial Arbitrations, Bilateral Trade Associations and Business Councils, PATA Sri Lanka Chapter, Organizing Trade Fairs and Training for the Private Sector on topics such as Environmental Regulations, Intellectual Property Rights, ISO Standards etc, with local and International Collaboration.
My stint at The Institute of Policy Studies, researching Ageing populations exposed me to data gathering and analysis.
My employment at the The World Bank– working on International Development and Legal and Judicial Reforms exposed me to working in an International Organization, data analysis and report compilation, navigating operational challenges on the ground, project management and conducting stake holder meetings, negotiating with people with diverse interests and working collaboratively towards a common goal.
Moving to the U.S. after marriage, I explored IT /Software procurement through employment at Westat and Bio Pharm procurement/supply chain management at GSK, which taught me the ropes of corporate operations and gave me exposure to the operations of the global bio pharm industry.
From these organizations, I gained a strong foundation in many aspects which have contributed to my career and personal development.
A chance encounter at a colleague’s farewell party introduced me to MacroGenics, and what started as a single interview turned into a nearly six-year journey where I could combine my analytical skills, curiosity to learn, and commitment to meaningful work.
Q: How does your background in law help you in procurement today?
My legal training is invaluable.
Be it negotiating a Master Service Agreement, understanding terms of a contract, or understanding the regulatory framework which pertains to this Industry- having a legal training is very helpful. When managing vendors, I’m able to step in and ask the right questions, provide input for terms of Vendor Agreements, negotiate, assure the integrity of the chain of custody etc. to ensure that there is no compromising quality of the products we manufacture. It is very important to us at MacroGenics that we deliver to our patients a product which is Manufactured at the highest possible quality, which is not prohibitively expensive. In this line of trade, we are cognizant that even a small oversight can impact patients’ lives. A raw material shortage could impact Manufacturing operations, leading to shortages of medicines in the market or impact a clinical trial. It’s a heightened sense of responsibility which we at MacroGenics take very seriously, and my legal background gives me confidence and the nuance to navigate it effectively.
Q: How do you foster connection within MacroGenics and beyond?
MacroGenics makes it easy to connect with colleagues through trivia, social events, and cross-team gatherings, which helps create a supportive and collaborative culture.
Outside of work, I stay connected to a global network of friends and family, friends made from School days in Sri Lanka, University days both in the U.K and US, and family, now scattered globally. I visit friends and family as and when time and money permits, to re-enforce connections and of course, I try to visit my sister in Sri Lanka to be pampered. Travelling has and will always be a passion of mine.
I also run informal online cooking campaigns where we share recipes and techniques, sparking joy and conversation despite physical distance. I also paint and enjoy cooking for friends.
Additionally, I give back through supporting causes related to visually impaired women, mindfulness initiatives, assisting under privileged university students supporting initiatives that help patients and families dealing with terminal illnesses, and volunteering locally for friends and neighbors by cooking food for the sick or running errands—small efforts that ripple into meaningful impact.
Q: What excites you most about your work at MacroGenics?
The work is dynamic and never monotonous. From managing the supply of Raw Materials for complex CMO operations to negotiating Master Service Agreements, Managing Vendors, being involved in Audit preparations, providing input to supplier change notification management, collaborating on building data bases of supply chain maps to part numbers, every day presents new challenges and opportunities to learn from and to contribute to.
What keeps me motivated is the knowledge that our work at MacroGenics directly supports therapies that improve patient outcomes. To me, this isn’t just a job; it’s a responsibility—and a privilege—to contribute to something that can literally save lives.
Q: If you could travel 100 years into the future, what would you want to see?
A world where people are not afraid of each other and where mutual trust and respect, collaboration and compassion are the default.
That’s the ultimate hope, both personally and professionally, and it inspires how I approach my work and community efforts today.
