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Indra Nooyi

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Indra Nooyi is a very famous business leader. She was born on October 28, 1955, in Madras, India. This city is now called Chennai. She grew up as the second of three children. Her mother was a home maker. Her father worked at the State Bank of Hyderabad. Her mother used games to help her daughters learn. When Nooyi was young, she even wrote speeches about having power.

Nooyi worked very hard in school. She studied physics, chemistry, and math at Madras Christian College. In 1978, she moved to the United States. She went to the Yale School of Management. There, she earned a master's degree in 1980. Before leading big companies, she worked in many different roles. She was a manager at Johnson & Johnson. She also worked for the Boston Consulting Group.

Nooyi became the CEO of PepsiCo in 2006. A CEO is the person in charge of a whole company. She stayed in this role for twelve years. During her time, she helped the company grow in new ways. She helped PepsiCo buy Tropicana juice in 1998. In 2001, she helped the company get Quaker Oats. This brought Gatorade into the PepsiCo family. This was a big move because Gatorade was a leader in sports drinks.

She had a special plan called "Performance with a Purpose." This plan helped the company grow while helping the world. She sorted snacks into three groups. Some were "fun for you," like potato chips. Others were "better for you," like diet snacks. The last group was "good for you," like oatmeal. She also worked to help the planet. She wanted to save water and use renewable energy.

Many people think Nooyi is a great leader. Forbes named her one of the most powerful women in the world. She was ranked number 13 on their list in 2014. She has won many special honors. In 2007, she received the Padma Bhushan from the President of India. She was also put in the National Women's Hall of Fame. Even after leaving PepsiCo, she still helps her community in Connecticut.

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