2011 Recognition Gala Highlights
Good evening,
On behalf of our 300,000 dedicated PepsiCo associates and 355,000 passionate Target team members, we are thrilled to welcome you to The Executive Leadership Council’s 25th Anniversary Recognition Gala.
As we mark this silver milestone, it is remarkable to think how Executive Leadership Council members have fundamentally transformed the American workplace. The business world of 2011 is more diverse, inclusive and productive than anyone could have imagined in 1986, when a handful of African-American corporate leaders set out to save Bishop College, a historically black college facing financial difficulty. This network of executives evolved into The Executive Leadership Council, and it has since reshaped corporate culture by developing a strong pipeline of business leaders.
PepsiCo and Target have long known that success in the marketplace depends on our ability to recognize and reflect the diversity of each community we serve. PepsiCo's culture of diversity and inclusion continues to be guided by the example of Harvey C. Russell, a 1994 Executive Leadership Council honoree, who in 1962 became the first-ever African-American appointed to a Vice President position by a major company, namely PepsiCo. Target opened that same year, with a corporate team and retail philosophy that prioritized inclusive local hiring and leadership training. From the very beginning, Target was open to all – not just the doors to our shopping experience, but to our employment opportunities, executive-development programs and boardroom.
Since 1962, generations of Target and PepsiCo leaders have nurtured, formalized and extended these early guiding principles. Today, fostering an inclusive culture is a core value at Target. Our team members are our competitive advantage, and their diverse perspectives and backgrounds provide key insights into guests’ needs and connect Target closely to our local communities. PepsiCo likewise embraces diversity as one of our central principles and a vital component of our company-wide Performance with Purpose mission, a belief that what’s good for society is good for business. Like all of you in the audience tonight, Target and PepsiCo believe that true market, thought and community leadership must encompass the diverse perspectives of all our stakeholders.
Few embody this dedication to diversity more than this evening’s award winners: Ursula Burns, Hazel O’Leary, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. They inspire all of us to achieve more, and we congratulate them as they are honored tonight.
In the days ahead, let us all recommit to building on the progress we have made over the past 25 years by building more diverse C-suites and boardrooms, mentoring talented young African-American executives and developing the next generation of leaders. In short, let us redouble our efforts to live out the mission of The Executive Leadership Council for the next 25 years and beyond.
We hope you all enjoy the festivities, and join us in celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of tonight’s honorees.
Sincerely,
Indra Nooyi and Gregg Steinhafel
View photos from the event.
2011 Gala Video |
