Female employees at this consumer goods company have a powerful ally in its Women of Color Multicultural Alliance, a group that serves as both inspiration and advocate for those advancing into middle management and beyond. By tapping its resources, minority women can establish mentoring relationships, get introductions to influential colleagues and participate in leadership conferences that bring them to the attention of executives. Women who want to create a wider base of support may check out the three-day Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, which the company sponsors, or attend the African-American Female Forum, a conclave for female executives that explains how to navigate the corporate culture and boost organizational savvy. At annual gatherings, multicultural women work on building authentic relationships with management and learn the best ways to initiate tough-but-important conversations. Nearly 75% of the com pany’s full-time associates report that managers practice diversity and inclusion, up from 16% in 2004.

Chairman & CEO Indra Nooyi
Senior VP & GLobal Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Pamela Culpepper

At PepsiCo, multicultural women represent…
9% multicultural women
7% of corporate executives
5% of senior managers
5% of the top earners
18% of the company hires
11% of the company promotions
14% of the company losses
Not tracked participants in mentoring programs
Not tracked participants in affinity groups

PepsiCo is a founding partner and 20-plus year-sponsor of the Executive Leadership Council, which helps African-American men and women advance.

Sponsoring the first leadership program specifically devoted to the needs of multicultural women was a watershed moment for this consumer goods company, which signed on in 2007 as a corporate partner of Ascent, an organization that seeks leadership roles for multicultural women. Today, the company’s top female employees rely on the program’s development education, peer counseling and executive coaching to shepherd them from their first jobs all the way into corporate leadership roles. Top execs also nurture high-potential talent by frequently mentoring two women in positions below them, and a group of managers are involved in Power Pairs, a unique initiative that strengthens their relationships with female employees of color. The Women of Color Multicultural Alliance helps to drive diversity initiatives and collaborates closely with separate advisory boards dedicated to female, African-American and Hispanic employees. Networking groups throughout the country help bring women of color together to discuss relevant issues or listen to speakers on topics such as “The Interrelationship Between Confidence and Competence.” Diversity and inclusion goals are part of senior executives’ performance objectives. The number of multicultural women in executive-level jobs has doubled since 2002, when the company began tracking their representation.

Multicultural Women 9%
Chairman & CEO Indra Nooyi
SVP, Chief Global Diversity & Inclusion Officer Ron Parker

At PepsiCo, multicultural women represent…
4% of corporate executives
6% of senior managers
6% of the top earners
19% of the company hires
14% of the company lossesNot tracked % of participants in mentoring programs
Not tracked % of participants in career counseling programs

Women of color occupy 10% of the seats on PepsiCo’s board of directors.

Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi, a native of India (now a U.S. citizen), is one of the country’s most powerful women, and her commitment to multicultural issues informs the direction of this food-and-beverage behemoth. Thanks to the support of her executive committee, PepsiCo’s Women of Color Multicultural Alliance is making major strides in recruitment: In 2008, multicultural women represented 10% of the company’s managers and 7% of its senior managers—but their presence among new manager hires was significantly higher at 15% and 10%, respectively. Once hired, these employees are assisted by Power Pairs, a mentoring program designed to help develop and retain multicultural women. The company also offers financial funding to Ascent, a nonprofit that helps women of color thrive in business. With the global market that it serves, what could be smarter?

Multicultural Women: 2%

Multicultural Women Managers/Execs: 8%

Chief Diversity Officer: Ron Parker

Hires who are multicultural women: 18%

Hires who are multicultural men: 21%

Multicultural women managers/execs: 8%

Multicultural men managers/execs: 14%

Top 20% earners who are multicultural women: 6%

Top 20% earners who are multicultural men: 16%

Multicultural women on board of directors: 8%

Offers formal compensation program to reward managers who specifically help multicultural women advance: YES

Rates managers on the number of multicultural women employees advancing: YES

Uses outside recruiter to focus on finding multicultural women candidates: YES

Offers support groups specifically for multicultural women: YES

Offers mentoring programs specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO

Offers sponsorship program specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO