With PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi Stepping Down, A Look At The Status Of Female CEOs

With Eric Westervelt (@Ericnpr)

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi is stepping down. With the number of female CEOs dropping, we'll take a hard look at the glass ceiling to the C-suite.

Sheelah Kolhatkar, staff writer at The New Yorker, former hedge fund analyst. (@sheelahk)

Christy Glass, professor of sociology at Utah State University. Her research focuses on gender inequality, race and leadership in the workplace.

Pamela Carlton, president and founder of the leadership consulting firm Springboard: Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership. (@Pam_Carlton)

The New Yorker: "Indra Nooyi and the Vanishing Female C.E.O." — "Nooyi is one of the few women running a major American corporation, and the problems of gender inequality are as endemic on the top rung of the corporate ladder as they are anywhere else in our society. Women make up less than five per cent of the C.E.O.s of major public corporations; they’re paid less than their male counterparts, on average; and they’re prone to having their looks analyzed and their comments blown out of proportion—all of which makes the complex task of running a company even more difficult. On Monday, Nooyi announced that she will step down as PepsiCo’s C.E.O., in October, after twelve years in the role. Her departure will leave only twenty-three women with top jobs at companies in the S. & P. 500 stock index."

CNBC: "These are the only women CEOs left among S&P 500 companies" — "With Indra Nooyi stepping down from the helm at PepsiCo, that leaves only two dozen female CEOs among the S&P 500 companies today.

"Nooyi in particular, having served 12 years as CEO at Pepsi, was viewed as a role model for other women in business. She led the world's second-largest food and beverage company through tumultuous times in the industry, setting the tone for a new behemoth in snacking to emerge. Now, President Ramon Laguarta will be taking her place later this year.

"Other top women CEOs in the consumer and retail industries today include Michele Buck at Hershey, Mary Dillon at Ulta and Michelle Gass at Kohl's. A handful of women also hold the chief executive title in the health care, automotive and industrials sectors. One upcoming change to the list, Kathy Warden is set to become the CEO of Northrop Gruman, effective Jan. 1 of next year."

When PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi steps down, barely two dozen women will hold the top job at companies in the S&P 500 stock index. Women make up less than 5 percent of the CEOs of major corporations, and they're still paid less than their male counterparts. For top managers, corporate boards, HR departments and consumers, what can be done to change the dynamic?

This hour, On Point: corporate leadership and the disappearing female CEO.

— Eric Westervelt