Sri Lanka’s Vidya leads Fonterra’s Malaysia and Singapore business
Vidya Sivaraja has been appointed by New Zealand-based multinational Fonterra to manage their business in Malaysia and Singapore, the first Sri Lankan to lead Fonterra’s country markets.
Ms. Sivaraja is currently Fonterra Sri Lanka’s General Manager of Marketing and has been appointed in the new position from February 1, the com- pany announced on Wednesday in a media release, which said it is the first time a Sri Lankan has led one of the global dairy co-operative’s country markets.
Sunil Sethi, Managing Director of Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka & the Indian Sub-Continent, said, “Our people are our biggest asset and we want to grow with them as they grow their careers. Vidya is a strong leader with a proven track record. Her story is a reflection of the unique opportunities available to inspiring leaders to take on challenging and interesting work across the globe. I am incredibly proud of Vidya and know that the Malaysia and Singapore business will greatly benefit from the different perspectives she will bring. We wish her the very best in her new role”.
Commenting on her new role, the new appointee said, “The opportunity is incredibly excit- ing and I am honoured to step up to the challenge. I am looking forward to working with the fantastic team of people we have in both markets to unleash the energy in our business, strengthen our brands’ leadership positions and develop high quality dairy solutions to delight our consumers.”
Ms. Sivaraja began her career at Fonterra in 2004 as a Group Brand manager and drove the growth of the local dairy business under the Anchor Newdale brand, and thereafter has moved up the ladder including a regional position in Singapore in 2007.
Her international career path and leadership roles have made her an obvious role model and mentor to other women in the co-op, and her emphasis on performance and people has made a mark on the Sri Lankan business. “A core part of leadership is about building diversity to harness different perspectives, providing a strong sense of ownership and passion through clarity of purpose and fostering a contagious 'can do' attitude,” she says.