Celebrating Women on IWD 2013: WJP Honorary Chair, Mrs. Indra Nooyi

International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future. Mrs. Indra Nooyi, Honorary Chair of the World Justice Project and Chairman and CEO of Pepsico, Inc., embodies the spirit of women entrepreneurs working to instill fundamental rights into the core operations of multinational corporations. With more than $65 billion in annual net revenue, PepsiCo makes hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world, underscoring the incredible reach and influence companies have into the lives of communities everywhere, and their responsibility to do right by them.

Mrs. Nooyi’s early career began at home in India, where she earned a BS from Madras Christian College and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta. She later received a masters from Yale University. Initial international experience in product manager positions with Johnson and Johnson and Mettur Beardsell, Ltd. proved invaluable, setting Nooyi on track to direct corporate strategy and development projects at The Boston Group, Motorola, and Asea Brown Boveri.

Joining PepsiCo in 1994, Mrs. Nooyi quickly climbed the corporate ladder to serve as President and Chief Financial Officer beginning in 2001, when she was also named to PepsiCo's Board of Directors. In this position, she was responsible for PepsiCo's corporate functions, including finance, strategy, business process optimization, corporate platforms and innovation, procurement, investor relations and information technology. Mrs. Nooyi was named President and CEO on October 1, 2006 and assumed the role of Chairman on May 2, 2007. She has directed the company's global strategy for more than a decade.

The chief architect of Performance with Purpose, Nooyi led the company to realizing its commitment to sustained growth with a focus on Performance, Human, Environment and Talent Sustainability. Drawing on childhood memories of villagers rationing limited water resources while large corporations--although arriving with jobs--consumed more than their fair share, explains that while the shareholders must be protected, corporations cannot lose their conscience. In keeping with this commitment, PepsiCo’s work to put people over profits has earned it a listing on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.

PepsiCo is committed to women and their communities, in both external and internal operations. PepsiCo Asia Pacific was named 2012 most-women friendly employer due to numerous initiatives including building childcare facilities in Pakistan and launching women focused professional development mentoring programs across the region. In 2011, PepsiCo awarded a $5 million dollar grant to the All China Women’s Federation to support the groups efforts to provide access to clean water in rural areas of western and central China.

According to Forbes Magazine, Indra Nooyi is consistently ranked among the world’s top 20 most powerful women - and rightly so.