INTHEBLACK November 2025 - Magazine - Page 30
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Vinayak ‘Vinnie’ Sasitharan has been
with Arnott’s for 15 years, heading
up the finance function in Asia
and leading the company’s market
expansion plans. He explains the
challenges of working across
different markets, and how seizing
opportunities has helped him thrive.
As told to Megan Breen
Photography Vignes Balasingham
30 INTHEBLACK November 2025
MY ROLE
Market differences
ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB
is the diversity of markets that it exposes me to. As CFO of an
international brand, I have access to a variety of cultures and different
ways of working. I’ve worked in Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
I now run a team in Japan, and I am still learning about the different
ways the markets, and people, work. It is fascinating.
For instance, Arnott’s is essentially the number one biscuit company
in Australia. Household penetration is at 99 per cent, which means
that in almost every single household across the country, you’ll find
an Arnott’s product.
That’s not the case in Asia. There, we’re competing against strong
local players who have often been embedded in the culture
and market for generations. These are well-established brands
in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and they have
a deep connection with local consumers. So, we’re operating in a very
different environment, where our market share is relatively low.
That said, the opportunity is enormous. The sheer number of potential
consumers we can reach is much larger. But the dynamics are quite
different, especially when it comes to pricing. For example, in Asia,
many people can’t afford a pack of Tim Tams [chocolate biscuits].
