NATIONAL NEWS
May 6, 2008
Meet Indra Nooyi
PepsiCo's boss is one of TIME's 100 most influential people. Howard Schultz, the head of Starbucks Coffee, writes about her many talents
 |  BRIAN ACH—WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES Indra Nooyi heads PepsiCo. She was born in India. |
The most appropriate way to describe Indra Nooyi, chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, is "world class leader." Her sharp mind, tremendous market insight and humanitarian contributions all combine to make her a rare executive among the global corporate giants. PepsiCo's international business grew by 22% last year. Indra, 52, was also way ahead of her competitors in moving PepsiCo toward healthier products.
I've known Indra for the past 10 years. I have been particularly impressed by her willingness to do the right thing for her employees and consumers. She welcomes hearing from people who disagree with her, but she is single-minded about following the path she believes is best for her company.
