Celebrating Women in Supply Chain: Empowering Female Professionals in the Industry

A recent survey conducted by Gartner in 2023 revealed that women now make up 41% of the total supply chain workforce, marking a significant increase from the previous year’s 39%. However, despite this progress, women still only represent 31% of frontline roles within the supply chain industry. This disparity is even more pronounced in the manufacturing sector, where women account for less than one-third of the workforce, despite making up around half of the U.S. labor force.

In an effort to address this gender imbalance, PepsiCo launched the She is PepsiCo campaign, with the goal of creating a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which the company operates. This initiative is exemplified in the senior leadership of PepsiCo’s Supply Chain division, where women like Karen Jordan and Laura Maxwell hold key executive positions. Jordan, who has been with PepsiCo since 2002, serves as the Chief Supply Chain Officer for PBNA, while Maxwell, with a tenure dating back to 1989, is the Chief Supply Chain Officer for PepsiCo Foods North America. Together, they oversee nearly 100,000 frontline employees across operations, transportation, and manufacturing, contributing to PepsiCo’s billion North American business units.

The She is PepsiCo campaign showcases how women can cultivate and advance their careers within PepsiCo’s supply chains, with the necessary support, tools, and a nurturing culture to foster their professional growth. Becky Schmitt, Chief Human Resource Officer at PepsiCo, emphasized the importance of encouraging more women to pursue frontline roles, not just for the benefit of the employees, but also for their families and the communities in which PepsiCo operates. By showcasing the career opportunities available to women and highlighting success stories of female employees within the company, PepsiCo aims to inspire more women to consider a career at PepsiCo.