
Vinayak Sasitharan
Vinayak Sasitharan is the Finance Director (CFO), Asia at Arnott’s, responsible for financial strategy, regional consolidation, governance, and business expansion across key markets, overseeing financial operations spanning Southeast Asia and Japan for a business portfolio of significant scale and complexity. An Australian citizen, he holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Distinction) from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) Australia.
He began his career at Macquarie Bank, gaining experience in financial markets and corporate investment before moving into finance leadership roles at Arnott’s, one of Australia’s most recognised FMCG brands. Vinayak has built a strong track record in financial planning and analysis, margin management, capital efficiency, and operational excellence, with experience across Sales Finance, Supply Chain Finance, and direct operations exposure through his time at Arnott’s Sydney manufacturing facilities, driving end-to-end cost optimisation initiatives. He later served as Finance Director of Arnott’s Indonesia, where he led financial turnaround strategies, optimised working capital, and strengthened local governance frameworks. Following this success, he took on a broader Asia regional role based in Kuala Lumpur, leading the financial integration of Arnott’s expanding footprint across multiple countries, implementing robust financial controls, and partnering with business leaders to translate corporate strategy into measurable financial outcomes.
In addition to his finance leadership role, Vinayak also served as Head of Japan, managing sales, marketing, and route-to-market strategies, under which the business improved margin performance, launched new product lines, and expanded distribution channels, notably strengthening partnerships with major customers such as Costco. Passionate about financial discipline, operational efficiency, risk management, and business development, he is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and strategic execution to support sustainable, long-term growth across the region.