John Edward Labay, CMA®, is a distinguished finance executive with a 15-year tenure at Mondelez International, having built his entire career within the company since joining as a management trainee. He has held progressive leadership roles across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, including a strategic global internal audit position.
He currently serves as Finance Head for the Malaysia and Singapore Cluster with additional responsibility for the Southeast Asia Chocolates business, reflecting deep operational and regional expertise.
He is slated for a significant promotion to Finance Director for the Toblerone and World Travel Retail Business Unit in Zurich, Switzerland, effective January 1, 2026. This appointment to a global leadership role at headquarters underscores his strategic vision, financial acumen, and capability to drive performance at international scale—capping a steady, merit-based rise through a complex multinational organization.
Discovering CMA Philippines
“It was more from a previous boss and also a colleague who has taken the CMA program. I was keen to continue to develop myself and it was a good choice at that time.”
Career growth from CMA
“It has refreshed and taught me critical skills that are relevant to the roles I was doing.”
Advice to prospective CMA candidates
“If you’re keen to continue developing yourself and learning or refreshing things, I recommend to consider the CMA program. I enjoyed the sessions and met wonderful people in the process.”