Within weeks Amazon followed up the board appointment of Rosalind Brewer with the addition of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi to its board of directors.
The ecommerce giant announced the appointment of Rosalind Brewer, Chief Operating Officer of Starbucks, as a director on February 4. She was also the second black woman to serve on Amazon’s board of directors. The announcement of Indra Nooyi’s board appointment came on February 25. Amazon’s 11-member board now has five women, with Nooyi and Brewer joining Jamie Gorelick, Judith McGrath and Patricia Stonesifer. Nooyi will also sit on the board’s audit committee.
A highly celebrated executive, Nooyi made headlines in October 2018 when she stepped down as CEO of PepsiCo after 12 years in the top job. She left the board role of chairman earlier this year. Based on her track record with the food and beverage giant, Nooyi will be a significant asset to Amazon in maintaining its dominant position in mass consumer markets. She joined PepsiCo in 1994, and served as Chief Financial Officer from 2001 until her promotion to CEO in 2006.
During her tenure as CEO of PepsiCo, Nooyi presided over numerous deals, which are said to have helped transform the company and cement its dominance in the snacks and drinks market. The company’s revenue grew from $35 billion in 2006 to more than $63 billion, and its share price nearly doubled. Nooyi is also known for having steered PepsiCo towards healthier food and beverages, which now make up nearly half the company’s sales.
Seattle-based Amazon has been criticized in the past for its male-dominated senior leadership. The tip towards active board diversification came after some of its more vocal shareholders submitted a proposal, which eventually led Amazon to adopt a formal policy to include women and minorities among nominees for its board of directors, Reuters reports.
