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I worked on ... Building a property empire.

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Name Mish Liyanage, ACMA, CGMA

Organisation Mistoria Group

Role Chief executive

Industry Property development

Start date 2009 End date Ongoing

Location Manchester, UK

I took the CIMA qualification in the 1990s, when I was studying at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka, where I'm from. Having completed a master's degree in strategic management and business processes, I worked at Ernst & Young in Sri Lanka before joining clothing exporter Brandix as a management accountant, where I rose to become financial controller and then senior manager, finance and administration.

My wife and I relocated to the UK in 2004, when she joined the faculty at the University of Glasgow and I became financial controller of the Scottish and Irish operations of recruitment firm Pertemps. When she later landed a job at the University of Manchester. I moved to a local property company called CBS Group as financial controller.

As the market started to turn against indebted property developers in 2009, I left the firm to launch MCC Accountants. But, in order to take advantage of the sharp fall in property prices, I also started the Mistoria Group, buying and renovating properties in Manchester and Liverpool, and later in Preston, Durham, Sunderland and Loughborough.

We have been able to take advantage of the fact that UK property prices are as much as 45 per cent lower than they were in 2007 while rental prices remain high, because people are still finding it difficult to buy property. This has meant that I haven't needed to raise any debt and have been running a cash-positive business, which is important for any new enterprise in a growth phase.

Specialising in the high-yielding accommodation market for students and professionals, Mistoria delivered a profit of [pounds sterling] 15,000 on a turnover of [pounds sterling]151,000 in its first year of operation. By 2012 it was making a profit, of [pounds...

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