An adviser to her father President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump has said that Indra Nooyi has been her mentor and inspiration as she expressed her gratitude for the outgoing PepsiCo chief's passionate engagement on various social issues.
"The great @IndraNooyi is stepping down as PepsiCo CEO, after 12 yrs. Indra, you are a mentor + inspiration to so many, myself included," Ivanka tweeted.
Ivanka said she is "deeply grateful" for Nooyi's friendship and thanked the Chennai-born executive for her "passionate engagement on issues that benefit the people of this country, and beyond."
In 2016, Nooyi had joined a 19-person Strategic and Policy Forum created by then President-elect Trump as he prepared his economic agenda for the US. However, the forum disbanded in August 2017 in the wake of Trump's confrontational response to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
PepsiCo's Board of Directors unanimously elected Ramon Laguarta, 54, to succeed Nooyi, 62, as Chief Executive Officer.
Nooyi will step down on October 3 after 24 years with the company, the last 12 as CEO. She will remain Chairman until early 2019 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
