Ishani Samarasekera, Director Finance & IT | Chobani A/NZ

CFO Magazine A/NZ > In Conversation

Ishani Samarasekera joined Chobani as Director of Finance & IT in April 2026 from General Mills, where she ran finance for a $1.5 billion operation spanning six countries in Europe and Australia. That followed a decade of senior roles in Melbourne and Switzerland covering strategy, FP&A, operations and governance.

At Chobani she oversees finance, strategy, IT and integrated business planning, a remit that puts her at the centre of how the company grows without losing what makes it distinctive. She sat down with CFO Magazine A/NZ to discuss why culture sits at the heart of finance performance, how values shape day-to-day decisions, and what human leadership looks like as AI reshapes the finance function.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – You’ve worked across large global organisations and now a fast-growing challenger brand. What was it about Chobani’s culture that stood out to you when you joined?

Ishani Samarasekera – Chobani may be a category-leading yogurt brand today, but we still operate with the mindset of a challenger – and that’s one of the things that stood out to me when I joined.

We don’t take success for granted. There’s an energy, pace and ambition here that encourages people to think boldly, challenge convention and keep looking for better ways to serve our consumers and communities. At the same time, it’s a place where people can build real careers and have a genuine impact.

It can be intense at times, but that’s part of what energises me. Being part of an organisation that acts quickly, stays true to its purpose of Good Food For All, and remains focused on what matters most is what makes Chobani such a special place to work.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – Many organisations talk about values, but employees often struggle to see them reflected in day-to-day decision making. How does Chobani ensure its values genuinely influence the way the business operates?

Ishani Samarasekera – What’s special about Chobani is that our values have been baking into the business from the very beginning. Our founder (and CEO), Hamdi Ulukaya, built Chobani around a simple belief: Good Food For All. That purpose and people-first mindset weren’t created after the business became successful, they helped create the success in the first place.

As a result, our values don’t sit on a poster or get referenced only when it’s convenient. They show up in the decisions we make – from how we develop products and support our communities to how we invest in our people and grow the business.

Take our value of “Do More Good and Make a Difference”. We don’t think of community impact as separate from the business. As a leadership team, conversations about how we support our communities happen alongside conversations about growth and performance. Whether that’s through partnerships, volunteering, or initiatives like The Big Difference grants program, it’s part of how we operate.

The same applies to doing things “The Right Way, Not the Easy Way”. You can see that in the way we make Greek yogurt. Simplicity requires discipline – from quality ingredients, to the right manufacturing processes, to great people. It’s a mindset that extends well beyond our products and influences how we approach decisions across the business.

We don’t spend a lot of time asking ourselves how to make our values influence the way we operate because operating the Chobani way is inherent to who we are.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – CFOs are often focused on growth, productivity and performance. Do you see culture as a competitive advantage, and if so, how does it translate into business outcomes?

Ishani Samarasekera – I see culture as a competitive advantage because great business results are delivered by great teams. As a leader, I’ve always believed you’re only as good as your team, so I invest heavily in building a team that is proud of what we’re achieving, motivated by growth, and clear on the role they play in the business.

At Chobani, we set high standards, but we also recognise that people do their best work when they feel connected to a shared purpose and to each other. I recently spent two days offsite with my entire team, and it reinforced how valuable it is to create space away from day-to-day pressures to build trust, strengthen relationships and align on where we’re going.

From a finance perspective, that matters. Strong culture improves the quality of conversations, speeds up decision-making and helps teams stay focused when the business is moving quickly. For me, culture isn’t separate from performance – it’s one of the key drivers of it.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – Chobani has experienced significant growth while maintaining a strong sense of purpose. How do you preserve culture as an organisation scales?

Ishani Samarasekera – Scaling a business without losing what makes it special is a challenge, and one we as a senior leadership team are constantly thinking about. As the business grows, more structure and discipline naturally follow, but so does the responsibility to protect the mindset and purpose that got us here.

What I love about Chobani is that we’re very conscious of preserving that balance. We’re growing quickly, but we’re still anchored in our purpose of Good Food For All and the entrepreneurial spirit our founder built the company on. We challenge ourselves when things become unnecessarily complex and work hard to stay connected to the people, decisions and values that matter most.

To me, that’s the Chobani magic: continuing to evolve and scale while staying true to who we are and what makes this such a special place to work.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – In your experience, what impact does a strong culture have on collaboration between finance and the broader business?

Ishani Samarasekera – Finance is no longer a back-office function – it’s at the forefront of decision-making and one of the few functions that sees the business as a whole. Our role is to be strategic advisors to the business.

To do that well, people need to want to work with us. We need to influence decisions, challenge thinking, and bring different parts of the business together. Without a strong culture of trust and collaboration, that’s incredibly difficult.

The best finance teams aren’t the ones with the loudest voice – they’re the ones with the strongest relationships. When people trust you, they’re more willing to collaborate, have honest conversations, and make better decisions together.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – When you’re building a finance team, what qualities are you looking for beyond technical capability?

Ishani Samarasekera – Technical capability is important, but it’s only part of the equation. I look for people who are curious, commercially minded and energised by the opportunity to help shape a growing business.

In a finance team, you need people who can work with detail but also step back and understand what the numbers mean for the broader business. I value people who bring positive energy, are authentic in how they work, and are comfortable challenging the status quo in a constructive way. In a growing business, change is constant, so adaptability, good judgement and a willingness to keep learning are just as important as technical expertise.

CFO Magazine A/NZ – As AI and automation continue to reshape finance functions, what human skills and leadership qualities will become even more important?

Ishani Samarasekera – I’ve always believed the best finance leaders are strategic partners to the business. As AI and automation reshape finance, it will become even more important to be a catalyst for digital innovation across the business.

The immediate focus is on better decision support through reporting & analytics automation, but we’re also starting to assess where AI can augment the business in more differentiated ways.

Technology will help us move faster and make better-informed decisions, but people will always be at the heart of those decisions. Curiosity, communication, judgement and the ability to bring people through change will be what sets great leaders apart.