As a child she loved imagining herself to be the Prime Minister of India. Today, one of the world's most powerful women, Indra Nooyi, chairwoman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, is proud to have successfully endured the rough ride to the top and won!
It has been years of hard work and perseverance, with 20-hour work days for Nooyi, and she says that she has thus effectively worked for the equivalent of 160 years!
Speaking at a Pierson College Master's Tea function, Nooyi said, "When I wake up in the morning, I am counting the minutes to work," she said.
"In business, the decision-making cycle is short and efficient. We can decide how to shape the future and we can do that in 160 countries. I love it," the Yale Daily News said quoting Nooyi.
Coming from a conservative family where girls marry at the age of 18, it was tough for Nooyi to convince her mother to let her go abroad.
When Nooyi told her mother about her decision to pursue further studies in the US, her mother said she would fast until death.
A supportive grandfather helped her get out of the difficult situation. My grandfather, "reassured me that he would take care of me if my mom died," Nooyi said.
Talking tough on business, Nooyi said she is striving to make PepsiCo to become more health-conscious.
"We are the first company to take out trans fat," she said. "It cost $15 million. We have implemented aggressive projects to reduce sodium levels," the Yale Daily News said quoting Nooyi.
After attending the Yale School of Management, Nooyi worked for the Boston Consulting Group and Motorola, then joined PepsiCo in 1994.
Image: Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. | Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
