FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Brad Baldia – (215) 715-3046, brad_baldia@naaap.org (National)

The National Association of Asian American Professionals is proud to congratulate Indra Nooyi on her recent appointment as President and CEO of Pepsico Inc.

On August 14th, Pepsico Inc. announced Monday that Chief Financial Officer Indra K. Nooyi would replace Steven Reinemund as chief executive officer of the soft-drink and snacks company. According to Forbes Magazine, Nooyi is the fourth most powerful woman in the world. In addition, she is the 2nd highest ranking woman CEO in the Fortune 500.

Nooyi was one of the keynote speakers at NAAAP’s 2005 National Convention held in Chicago, Illinois. She serves as a shining role model for Asian Americans and minority women in business. Indra Nooyi is part of an even rarer group: women of color in corporate leadership ranks. Only Andrea Jung, chief executive of Avon Products Inc., currently fits that role in the Fortune 500.

As the highest-ranking Indian-born woman in corporate America, Nooyi, 49, has pushed PepsiCo to take bold risks, with moves that include acquiring Tropicana in 1998 and helping to start the company's fast-food chains in 1997. Nooyi has a degree in management from Yale, and her career includes stints at the Boston Consulting Group and Motorola. She attributes much of her success to her upbringing in India. "Being a woman, being foreign-born, you've got to be smarter than anyone else," says Nooyi, who honors her heritage by often attending PepsiCo events wearing a sari. Nooyi also serves on numerous boards, including Motorola and New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

The National Association of Asian American Professionals is the largest and fastest growing Asian Pacific American professional organization with representation in over 19 cities across the continental United States and in Canada. Its mission is to develop future leaders through professional development, cultural awareness and community service. For more information about NAAAP, visit www.naaap.org.

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