Today, PepsiCo announced it has been named among Black Enterprise’s 2011 40 Best Companies for Diversity. The annual ranking celebrates U.S. organizations successfully embracing inclusion as reflected in their Board of Directors, employee base, senior management and supplier base. This external recognition is an honor for PepsiCo and reinforces commitment to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.
PepsiCo has a long legacy of diversity and inclusion that is deeply woven into the fabric of our company. As a company, PepsiCo has led the way to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. For example, in the 1940s, before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in professional baseball, PepsiCo was the first company to grant a franchise to people of color, hire African Americans as professionals, and the first company to engage in multicultural marketing. In addition, PepsiCo was the first company to appoint a woman to its board of directors and the first major company to appoint an African American to the VP role. At PepsiCo we are proud of this legacy. However, we understand that we cannot rest on this legacy but use it as a standard of how we do business.
Respecting others and succeeding together are ideas fundamental to how we continue to operate every day and strive to grow as a globally-minded, multicultural company. At PepsiCo, we call this Performance with Purpose, respecting, supporting and investing in local communities where we operate by hiring local people, creating products designed for local tastes and partnering with local farmers, governments and community groups.
As we expand our business, we are placing heightened focus on ensuring that we maintain an inclusive environment and on developing the careers of our associates — all with the goal of continuing to have the leadership talent, capabilities and experience necessary to grow our business well into the future.
We are encouraged by Black Enterprise’s recognition. However, witnessing diverse associates rise through the ranks of PepsiCo, purchasing quality products and services from a diverse supplier base, or supporting diversity and inclusion in local communities through our giving programs is the true testament to PepsiCo’s culture.
To read about PepsiCo’s other recent acknowledgements related to diversity, including being named a Best Company for Multicultural Women, click here.
