Indra Nooyi, president and CEO of PepsiCo, encourages women to set their sights high no matter their background.
That was the message of an inspirational speech she gave Tuesday to more than 1,600 people at the 16th-annual International Women's Day luncheon at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Named the No.1 most powerful woman in business by Fortune Magazine in 2006, Nooyi spoke about the hardships she faced when she arrived in the United States from India.
Nooyi recalled the gifts of tenderness and toughness her mother passed on to her and her sister over the kitchen table when they were children.
She asked them both what they would do to change the world if they became prime minister someday.
Nooyi said the question was not about the answers she and her sister came up with, but the fact that her mother did not set any barriers of gender when posing the question.
She imparted five life lessons to the audience from her own life experiences:
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Be yourself.
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Constantly improve yourself and never stop learning.
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Surround yourself with support.
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Match your success with your ability.
The event raised $150,000 for the International Women's Day Scholarship Fund. It provides educational scholarships for women in need.
Nooyi said PepsiCo would match the amount. |
