Indra Nooyi is an Indian-American business executive who became the chairperson and fifth CEO in PepsiCo’s history. She is on the boards of Amazon and the International Cricket Council at the moment. She is an active philanthropist as well.
She and her husband have worked together to help others by giving money to schools in rural areas of the U.S. for educational purposes. She was ranked 13th on the Forbes list of the world’s 100 most powerful women. In 2017, she was ranked the 2nd-most powerful woman on the Forbes list.
Personal Life:—
Indra was born in Madras, India. She cherished playing cricket. She used to play guitar in an all-girl rock band. She finished her studies in India. In 1978, she moved to the United States for better studies.
In 1981, she married Raj K. Nooyi, who’s the president at AmSoft Systems. The couple has two daughters. She was ranked third in the World’s Most Powerful Moms’ listing by Forbes.
Indra Nooyi, Education:
Indra finished her primary education at Holy Angels Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) diploma from Madras Christian College of the University of Madras in 1974.
She went to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kolkata, to get her Master of Business Administration (MBA). In 1980, she got her Master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management at Yale University.
Professional Life:—
Indra started her professional career as a product manager at the textile firm Mettur Beardsell Limited. She worked there for one year (1976–1977). She further worked as a product manager for one year at Johnson & Johnson.
She did her summer internship at Booz Allen Hamilton while she was going to the Yale School of Management. She then served as an international corporate strategist at the Boston Consulting Group. She worked there for six years (1980–1986).
After that, she sat in the position of Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Motorola. She served at the company for 4 years (1986–1990).
She started working at Asea Brown Boveri Private Limited from 1990 to 1994. She served there as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Marketing. Since February 2019, she has served on the Board of Directors of Amazon as a member of the Audit Committee.
Tenure at PepsiCo
Indra joined PepsiCo in 1994 as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning. After serving for 2 years in this position, she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development.
After 4 years, she was again promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and served in this role for one year. She was then promoted to the position of President and Chief Financial Officer for another five years. Her hard work and strategic planning resulted in numerous promotions within the same company.
She took over as chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo from Steven Reinemund in October 2006. After working for PepsiCo for about 24 years, she officially left the company in January 2019. During her tenure, the organization’s income grew from 60% to 80%.
Indra has become the co-director of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center in 2019. The organization is a public-private partnership with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.
She is a resident of Connecticut and examines the state’s new economic development strategy. She is also the co-chairman of AdvanceCT, a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization.
Why is Indra Nooyi a good leader?
She treads with courage. Another great leadership lesson for Indra Nooyi is to have the courage to innovate. Great leaders are those who take decisions with conviction, even amidst scrutiny and criticism.
When Indra Nooyi took the decision to make PepsiCo products healthier, the critics were harsh on her.
What made Indra Nooyi successful?
During her 12 years as CEO, Nooyi turned PepsiCo into one of the world’s most successful food and drink companies.
Her push for healthier snack and beverage choices, along with an eye for product packaging, led to an 80 percent sales growth in the 12 years she was CEO.
What is Indra Nooyi doing now?
Indra Nooyi stepped down from the post of CEO of PepsiCo in 2018. From starting her career as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson to becoming the CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi has come a long way and has paved the path for many successful women to follow in her footsteps.
Currently, Nooyi is working at Amazon and is the second woman of color to be added to Amazon’s Board of Directors.
Conclusion:—
Indra Nooyi has come a long way and has paved the path for many successful women to follow in her footsteps. She was the CEO of PepsiCo for a period of 12 years, which showcases her strong leadership qualities and taught us how to lead with power and dignity.
PepsiCo’s growth into the most successful food and drink company shows that she did a good job in her position.She treads with courage. Another great leadership lesson for Indra Nooyi is to have the courage to innovate. Great leaders are those who take decisions with conviction, even amidst scrutiny and criticism.
Courtesy:— StartupTalky