In honor of Women’s History Month, we are recognizing the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential immigrant and refugee women who’ve helped shape America’s vibrant tapestry. Today, we spotlight Indian American business executive and trailblazer Indra Nooyi.
Indra Nooyi has consistently been ranked among the most powerful women in business, known for her role as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018.
Born in 1955 as Indra Krishnamurthy in Madras (now known as Chennai), India, she was raised in a socially conservative Tamil Brahmin family. Although her mother adhered to some traditional beliefs, she raised her two daughters to be independent and strong thinkers from an early age.
Indra recalls, “Every night at the dinner table, my mother would ask us to write a speech about what we would do if we were president, chief minister, or prime minister.”
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry, and mathematics from Madras Christian College in India in 1975, Indra completed her Master’s Degree in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management in 1980. She gained American citizenship in 1978.
In 1980, she joined the Boston Consulting Group as a strategy consultant, then worked at Motorola as its Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning. Indra joined PepsiCo in 1994 as the Senior Vice President for strategic planning, later becoming Chief Financial Officer in 2001, and finally, PepsiCo’s first foreign-born and first female CEO in 2006. She served in that position until 2018.
As the Director of PepsiCo, she was involved in crucial significant acquisitions and the redirection of the company toward long-term growth with a focus on sustainability. She raised PepsiCo’s annual net profit from $2.7 billion to $6.5 billion, positively impacting society and the environment. Indra’s time at PepsiCo was characterized by trailblazing corporate responsibility protocols, in which she quickly identified the need for healthier products and environmental considerations such as reducing plastic usage.
In 2014, she was ranked number 13 on the Forbes list and was the second most powerful woman on the Fortune list in 2015 and 2017. She received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in 2007. Indra was named number one on Fortune magazine’s annual ranking of the Most Powerful Women in Business five times from 2006 to 2010. She is also a current board member of multiple companies, including Amazon and the International Cricket Council Board.
Others we are celebrating in honor of Women’s History Month:
2025
Azar Nafisi, critically acclaimed author and English Literature Professor
2024
Cecelia Payne-Gaposchkin, astronomer, educator, and trailblazer
Mother Cabrini, canonized Catholic sister and the patron saint of immigrants
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, psychiatrist and trailblazer for the acceptance of palliative care
Hinke Boot, former 20-year IIB Executive Director and advocate for New Americans
2023
Gloria Estefan, award-winning singer
Iman, supermodel and human rights activist
Isabel Allende, internationally best-selling author
Madeleine Albright, 64th U.S. Secretary of State, first woman to hold position
Martina Navratilova, tennis superstar and civil rights advocate
Mila Kunis, award-winning actress and humanitarian
Lidia Bastianich, Emmy award-winning celebrity chef
Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood “Golden Age” actress and modern tech luminary