Everything at Scale

Shehani Liyanage is doing everything at scale: breaking barriers, excelling in brand building across huge challenging markets in Africa and Asia, and driving positive societal change. 

Her career journey is remarkable, rising from an intern at a multinational company in Sri Lanka to becoming the Global Marketing Director for BlueBand (known as Astra in Sri Lanka) and Regional Operations Lead for AMEA (Africa, Middle East, and Asia) at Upfield.

Over a decade, Shehani has swiftly climbed the corporate ladder, blending marketing expertise with leadership, while staying focused on making a broader impact.

In 2023, Shehani led Upfield’s Good Breakfast Programme, a global initiative promoting balanced breakfast habits among children. The program has already reached 23.8 million children across markets like Kenya, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, with an ambitious goal of 100 million by 2030. It uses a mix of online and offline strategies, including daily breakfast diaries, SMS reminders for parents, and an educational game to boost nutritional awareness.

Shehani’s career began at Fonterra as a Management Trainee, where she quickly advanced to Brand Manager, proving her ability to succeed in competitive markets. In 2019, she joined Upfield as the Marketing Manager for Sri Lanka and rapidly moved up the ranks, eventually overseeing the global BlueBand brand and regional operations.

A defining moment in her career occurred during market research in Nairobi, Kenya, where she met a mother who, despite living in poverty, ensured her child received BlueBand daily for its nutritional value. This experience reinforced the real-world impact of Shehani’s work and deepened her commitment to understanding and addressing consumer needs.