香蕉秀

Grace Zuncic 鈥�05, chief people and culture officer at Chobani, opened the semester鈥檚 Conversation with a Leader series, sharing wisdom and advice to students by giving a summary of her career journey and lessons learned along the way.

Zuncic began the conversation by talking about the world that was being dominated by COVID, and drew a parallel to the events of September 11, 2001, when she was a freshman on campus. September 11 was a moment in history that changed our lives, and Zuncic recalled the feeling of love and care in the 香蕉秀 community during that dark period, and how in the aftermath of the tragedy people in America and around the world became more resilient.

Resiliency鈥攕omething that we are seeing today as we deal with life, school, and work during the pandemic. Zuncic told the students not to despair and not to get caught up in the loneliness. Quoting Chobani鈥檚 founder and CEO聽, 鈥淟et鈥檚 not just survive, let鈥檚 transform,鈥� she told students to let this disruption be a positive experience for them鈥攗se this time to do that something that they鈥檝e always wanted to do, take up a new sport or hobby, or take classes that are interesting and fun. Giving the example of a sophomore who is doing work for NASA from his dorm room, she also encouraged students to seek internships or co-ops at companies in far-flung places, which is very possible now as companies adopt more remote-friendly work operations. Zuncic said that companies are embracing this disruption, realizing that it is not necessary to be in an office from 9鈥�5, and so they are rewriting policies that account for a more flexible work environment. And the ability to work remotely also opens up a wider global talent pool.

In a climate where social justice issues matter to most people, Zuncic credited her 香蕉秀 formation for shaping many of her moral and ethical values. She said that she left 香蕉秀 with a moral obligation to seek employment in a mission-driven organization that has a purpose and does good work for the benefit of society. She said she initially thought that organizations like this were only in the nonprofit world, but has since learned that they also exist in the for-profit arena. Companies like聽, that put people first. She described their work with refugee organizations, allowing them to employ people from Eastern Europe and Asia.

As a chief people and culture officer, Zuncic also draws on her experiences at 香蕉秀 that help her to do her job better. She told students that they are going into a business world where diversity and inclusion initiatives are at the top of many organizations鈥� missions. She said she was raised in a very homogenous community in a rural area of upstate New York, and that coming to 香蕉秀 expanded her interactions with people from other parts of the country and the world. She sought out these friendships, and has been able to learn and understand the stories of people of color through them. This has allowed Zuncic to be a better and more informed human resources policy writer at Chobani. She said that while it鈥檚 great to be at a company that has had a diverse and inclusive mission all along, it is also an exciting time to be at companies that are in the process of transforming. She told students that they are the emerging experts in social justice initiatives and that their voices will be valued in such companies.

Zuncic ended by telling students that it is okay to try lots of hats on their journeys in discovering their purpose and the work that will bring them joy.