Indra Nooyi steps down from PepsiCo as CEO

Indra Nooyi will step down after 12 years of leading PepsiCo and steering the company away from one synonymous with fizzy drinks to a diverse portfolio of snacks, breakfast foods and beverages. It hasn't been an easy ride, dealing with changing consumer demands, a shift of tastes towards health and fitness foods and some investor pressure.

Indra Nooyi is one of the India's most successful people in the corporate world. As she said in her statement, "Growing up in India, I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary company," Nooyi said in a statement. "PepsiCo today is in a strong position for continued growth with its brightest days still ahead."

Born in India, Indra Nooyi studied in IIM Calcutta and was a badminton champion as a youngster. She aced academics, was an introvert and kept mostly to herself at college. She also loved playing the guitar. At PepsiCo, during her stint Indra Nooyi spoke a great deal about women at work. "You can have it all with a support system," she has said about how a family can support women and fuel their ambitions.

She used to call and speak to her mom two to three times a day. Nooyi said, "At the end of the day, don't forget you are a person, you are a mother, you are a daughter, you are a wife."

On claiming your career her advise was : “I decided after a while I was never going to win the looks battle. I focused on the brains part. I focused on doing the job better than anyone else could do it.”

She admitted that leadership was challenging and good leadership even more. But Indra Nooyi added that being CEO isn't a job, it's a calling.

CNBC reported the 11 years through the end of last year, the company generated total shareholder return of 162 percent (as of 6th August 2018). It grew net revenue from $35 billion in 2006 to $63.5 billion in 2017.