Context The most important thing a leader must understand is that diversity means being different. Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, understands what it means to be different. Reinemund and Paige explained that Indra Nooyi understands the differences. Indra Nooyi has navigated the differences of being a woman, minority and ethnic background and still managed to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Ms. Nooyi holds a Bachelor of Science from Madras Christian College, a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, and a Master of Public and Private Management from Yale University (PepsiCo, n.d.). Indra spent many years as a vice president in various capacities before starting at PepsiCo in 1994 as senior vice president of strategy and strategic marketing. Ms. Nooyi rose through the ranks at PepsiCo and in 2006; took the helm as president and CEO. Indra Nooyi experiences diversity every day and encompasses what Richardson (2005) defines as an organization of people from diverse backgrounds made up of race, ethnicity, gender, and beliefs. This article will focus on how Indra Nooyi influences diversity at PepsiCo based on her ethnicity, gender, and policies. A key element to successfully implementing a diversity policy is the ability to lead and manage ethnic diversity. Ethnic diversity has been and continues to be positive for the economic growth and prosperity of this country (Herrerra, 2001). According to Moore (2007), Indra Nooyi is originally from India and one of the few women to run a Fortune 500 company. PepsiCo is an advocate of diversity and had minority-owned franchises and employees of color in the 1940s. Moore stated that Peps......center of document......Executive Officer, PepsiCo).Reinemund, S., and Paige, C.,. Tackling the diversity challenge at PepsiCo. Retrieved from http://www.businessfacts.us/management/Meeting_the_Diversity_Challenge_at_PepsiCo_31. shtmlRichardson, D. (2005). A journal of conservative biogeography. Diversity and distributions,11(1), 1-2. Doi:10.1111/j.1366-9516.2005.00157.x.Schultz, H. (2008). Indra Nooyi. Time magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733758_ 1736190,00.htmlU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2013). Women in the workforce: a databook. Report 1040, excerpted from www.bls.gov.WordPress Blog, (2011). Management mantras for success by Indra Nooyi. Inspired minds to change lives. Retrieved from http://changeminds.wordpress.com/tag/indra-nooyis-management-mantras-for-success/