Indra Nooyi, CEO Pepsi...... This is about 14 years ago. I was - TopicsExpress

Indra Nooyi, CEO Pepsi...... This is about 14 years ago. I was working in the office. I work very late, and we were in the middle of the Quaker Oats acquisition. And I got a call about 9:30 in the night from the existing chairman and CEO at that time. He said, Indra, were going to announce you as president and put you on the board of directors ... I was overwhelmed, because look at my background and where I came from — to be president of an iconic American company and to be on the board of directors, I thought something special had happened to me. So rather than stay and work until midnight which I normally wouldve done because I had so much work to do, I decided to go home and share the good news with my family. I got home about 10, got into the garage, and my mother was waiting at the top of the stairs. And I said, Mom, Ive got great news for you. She said, let the news wait. Can you go out and get some milk? I looked in the garage and it looked like my husband was home. I said, what time did he get home? She said 8 oclock. I said, Why didnt you ask him to buy the milk? Hes tired. Okay. We have a couple of help at home, why didnt you ask them to get the milk? She said, I forgot. She said just get the milk. We need it for the morning. So like a dutiful daughter, I went out and got the milk and came back. I banged it on the counter and I said, I had great news for you. Ive just been told that Im going to be president on the Board of Directors. And all that you want me to do is go out and get the milk, what kind of a mom are you? And she said to me, let me explain something to you. You might be president of PepsiCo. You might be on the board of directors. But when you enter this house, youre the wife, youre the daughter, youre the daughter-in-law, youre the mother. Youre all of that. Nobody else can take that place. So leave that damned crown in the garage. And dont bring it into the house. You know Ive never seen that crown.