BY: NICOLE BOURBON
Cristina Alesci ’01 is no stranger to headlines. You may recognize her most recent work as a veteran CNN business and political correspondent. Appearing regularly on the likes of Anderson Cooper 360° and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Cristina’s knack for reporting business and political news has earned her some serious industry cred. Her focus on values and voices has been at the forefront of her journey.
Cristina made headlines of her own in December of 2020 when she announced her boldest move to date: joining Chobani as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (CCAO). As a member of Chobani’s Executive Leadership Team, she now oversees external, internal, and executive communications, government and community relations, social impact, and philanthropy.
With aspirations of a career in law enforcement, she graduated Magna Cum Laude after studying criminal justice and philosophy at Pace’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. She went to work for a Wall Street law firm as a legal assistant as a stepping stone to law school. But just before she would have enrolled in law school, a family crisis forced her to change paths. She quickly pivoted to a job in pharmaceutical sales to help support her family while attending Columbia University’s post-baccalaureate business program in the evenings. Somehow, she also found time to indulge a personal passion and moonlight as a freelance writer for local city publications, including the New York Press.
This detour from the law led Cristina to discover that she had a head for business and a passion for storytelling. She decided to pursue a career as a financial reporter, receiving a master’s degree in journalism with honors from The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in 2008, where she was recognized for uncovering an FBI file on legendary New York Times journalist David Halberstam from the mid-1960s. Her story was followed by several national outlets.
Cristina’s unorthodox career trajectory taught her to embrace change and be nimble, which she has paired with a steadfast refusal to take “no” for an answer. This balance of flexibility and persistence has served her well across a broad range of fields and companies of all different sizes.
The biggest secret to Cristina’s success? Her unique ability to connect with people and understand the bottom line. And, of course, her tendency to dream big. She stays inspired by a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt—"You must do the things you think you cannot do.” Cristina shares that she gravitates toward what may seem like “impossible challenges, which push me to learn new skills and get comfortable with being uncomfortable—all the time!”
You might be wondering—what led this on-air talent from reporting on national business and political events to championing a leading food manufacturer? In 2015, Cristina sat down with Chobani’s founder, Hamdi Ulukaya, for a CNN news story about his company’s perspective on corporate America’s role in solving the world’s refugee crisis. Cristina and Hamdi stayed in touch and connected in conversation on matters of business, policy, wellness, and, most importantly, food. As a quintessential New Yorker who grew up in Queens, Cristina holds tight to the many culinary traditions she learned from her parents, both of whom emigrated to the U.S. from Italy.
Reflecting on her love of food, she shares, “As a child, meals were magical because my mother put so much thought and creativity into them. She used them as a tool to deliver joy and surprise. And throughout my adult life, food and meals continue to be the way my family and I express our love for one another and our friends—all life’s moments are better when shared with food.”
In part, this is why she feels connected to Chobani’s mission of using food as a force for good.
As she reported for CNN during the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in New York City, she brought viewers up-to-the-minute information about policy changes and Covid-19 relief resources while covering the economic pain so many Americans faced. Cristina stayed “on” 24-7—both through her television reporting for CNN and through her social media presence. She says that one of the toughest aspects of sharing these stories was Covid-19's historic and unprecedented impact on New York City’s economy—specifically the restaurant and nightlife industry that she has deep ties to. The crisis reinforced her love for the city and the people who help make it a magical place to live, including restaurant owners, chefs, musicians, and the workforce that enables all of it. “Food, nightlife, and the performing arts are the city's hearths—they bring us together, inspiring and nourishing us," she shares.
The transition from the news desk to her new desk may seem night and day, but she notes how her background as an on-air personality is already serving her well in her new role. She shares, “On television, I was on for minutes at a time, and now, I’m on all the time.” No day is the same, but she can be found hosting company town halls, speaking at public events, and presenting new ideas to leadership regularly. “Reporting on stories that impact viewers' lives and inform their decisions is not much different than helping Chobani with its mission to bring meaningful change to the way people eat and business is done,” she shares.
She is excited for her newest challenge: leading and developing a team of 25 communications and corporate affairs professionals who help drive Chobani's business and do good in the world. When discussing the company’s mission, Cristina lights up as she shares its latest social impact endeavors, including advocating for higher hourly wages and pushing for solutions to child hunger like universal free meals in schools. When she reflects on Chobani's child nutrition initiatives, she shares, “I think about my life growing up, and while I came from humble beginnings, food was never an issue. This is not just a moral issue, it is also an economic one. The costs of child hunger, in terms of malnutrition, chronic health conditions, and enduring poverty, dwarf the costs of ending it."
Throughout the pandemic, she has demonstrated her love for New York City by supporting local businesses and keeping family and friends connected with her upbeat and magnetic personality. She hopes that a revitalized New York City will continue to stand as an example of a city that “welcomes everyone and maintains a dynamic where all walks of life—no matter their background or income level—can live with one another while enjoying the magic of the city and getting what they need from it—that is the SOUL of our city.”
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Visit Chobani's Website to learn more.