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 Chennaivasi to head PepsiCo
 Indra K. Nooyi, a Chennaivasi, is taking over as the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Inc., on October 1, 2006. This at a time when state after Indian state is banning the cola for containing a high levels of pesticide residue. It can be seen as a bad time for an Indian to take up the job or it can be viewed as a challenge that confronts Indra as she assumes office.
Chennai can be proud that Indra (50) is one of the 11 female CEOs running Fortune 500 companies. She will be the beverage company's fifth CEO and take over from Steve
Reinemund.
Indra graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, physics and chemistry from Madras Christian College in 1976, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, in 1978, and a master’s degree from Yale University in Public and Private Management in 1980.
Her corporate experiences include positions at Motorola that began in 1986 and led to her becoming vice-president of Corporate Strategy and Planning in that company between 1988-90, and at Asea Brown Boveri, as senior vice-president and director of Corporate Strategy and Strategic Marketing between 1990-94.
At the helm of PepsiCo since 2001, when she was elected CFO, she spearheaded her company’s merger with The Quaker Oats Company that same year, earning praise for her planning and vision.
Now on the threshold of another challenging assignment, all eyes will be on Indra to see who she pulls her company out of the morass that it has landed itself in India.
More than that, as a woman CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the world, she will be watched closely by management pundits and ordinary folks to see if she can stand up to the test.
S Chitra
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