Indra Nooyi to receive
honorary degrees by Duke
University
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the NEW YORK Tri-State Area awards $11,160 to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area (RMHC-NYTSA) recently awarded $11,160 to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF). This grant benefits the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP), CACF’s youth leadership and advocacy program that works with a team of NYC public high school students to create change on critical issues in the school system. Funding from RMHC-NYTSA will be used by the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families to support the Asian American Student Advocacy Project. With the generous support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri- State Area, CACF will be able to expand ASAP to serve up to 20 students, provide training for the students to implement school-based projects, and strengthen the connection between the youth and their parents to the program.
The mission of RMHC is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children in the areas of health, education, civic and social issues and the arts. "Supporting The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families is a reflection of our mission" noted Gerald McCoy, President of RMHC-NYTSA Chapter. "Our chapter is proud to partner with non-profit organizations serving the needs of children and working to improve their well-being."
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy organization, aims to improve the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children, youth, and families in New York City. Founded in 1986, CACF was formed by a group of social service providers concerned that New York City private and public health, education, and human service institutions could not adequately serve the growing number of Asian Pacific American and immigrant families. Today, CACF is still the only organization of its kind in the nation.
The Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) was founded by CACF in 2004 as a youth leadership project dedicated to strengthening the leadership and advocacy skills among New York City’s Asian Pacific American public high school students in order to create positive changes in the public school system. By working together on school reform projects throughout ASAP, the students will gain critical leadership and literacy skills while increasing their civic involvement. The youth leaders this year represent 17 different New York City public high schools and diverse Asian Pacific American ethnic groups. For more information about the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) and the Asian American Student Advocacy Project, please visit www.cacf.org.
Since 1992, RMHC-NYTSA has provided more than $10 million dollars to local non-profit organizations whose programs improve the well-being of children and their families. For further information on Ronald McDonald House Charities-NYTSA, visit www.rmhcnewyorktri-state.org or call 973-287-1476. 1476.
India-born Pepsico chairperson Indra Nooyi and talk show host Oprah Winfrey are among eight persons who will be awarded honorary degrees by Duke University during the school’s May 10 commencement exercises. The commencement will also feature an address by Winfrey, Duke president Richard H. Brodhead announced recently. Other recipients are economist-educator Susan Athey, Nobel geneticists Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein as a team, higher education leader James Moeser, Nobel chemist Mario Molina and pianist Murray Perahia.
"Each of these men and women represent the best and brightest in their respective fields, and it is our honor at Duke to recognize them for their enormous contributions to society," Brodhead said.
"Indra is a world-class executive who rose from humble roots in India to succeed in a corporate world dominated by white males," said Victor J. Dzau, chancellor for health affairs at Duke University and a member of the PepsiCo board of directors.
"She is an impressive and inspirational leader, a visionary and a strategic thinker who has played a key role in PepsiCo’s success and in shaping PepsiCo’s future," Dzau said.
Before joining PepsiCo, a $40 billion food and beverage company in 1994, Nooyi established her prominence as a top business executive, leading corporate strategy at Motorola and ABB and directing strategic projects for companies while at Boston Consulting Group, the announcement noted.
Nooyi earned a graduate degree in business administration from the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata, and a master’s degree in management from Yale University. She serves on a number of charitable boards and is a Successor Fellow of Yale Corporation and a member of the Board of Trustees of Eisenhower Fellowships.
According to Wall Street Journal, Nooyi, 52, has devoted considerable time in her first year as chairman and CEO to crafting and preaching a vision that calls for the Purchase, N.Y., company to become a corporate leader on both of those fronts, as well as to foster a workplace environment that offers employees "a career, not just a job," she told a group of business leaders in Miami in September.
Her drive to make PepsiCo "known around the world as a good company" has deep roots in her childhood in India, she said. Around the family dinner table in Madras, India, Ms. Nooyi’s mother used to challenge her and her sister to describe what they would do to "change the world" if they were elected prime minister, or to another post. Then her mother would evaluate the answers to determine which of her daughters to support. "I can’t tell you how hard my sister and I competed to earn her vote!" Nooyi recalled.
She wants PepsiCo to derive 50% of U.S. revenue by 2010 from health-oriented products or healthier varieties of its “indulgent” treats. Sales of those products currently make up a percentage of revenue in the “mid- 40s” range.
The veteran dealmaker also hasn’t shied from acquisitions. The company is pursuing multiple smaller acquisitions, ranging from $5 million to $2 billion in value, to fill geographical and portfolio gaps.
JET AIRWAYS to partner with Emirates
Jet Airways, India’s leading international airline, and Emirates Airline, the award-winning international carrier with extensive services from India, have announced a partnership.
Last month, the two airlines launched a reciprocal frequent-flyer arrangement whereby members of Jet Airways’ Jet Privilege, India’s largest frequentflyer program, may earn and redeem miles across Emirates’ rapidly expanding international network, with the exception of flights between India and Dubai. Members of Emirates’ Skywards program may also earn and redeem miles on all Jet Airways flights operating within India. Emirates will also commence a unilateral code share on Jet Airways’ daily flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to and from Dubai - offering passengers enhanced connectivity and a range of services between India and Dubai. Jet Airways operates daily services on the Mumbai/New Delhi - Dubai sectors aboard its state-of-the-art Airbus A330-200 and B737-800 aircraft respectively, with a two-class configuration: Premiere (Business) and Economy. Jet Airways’ flights on these sectors will be identified with its "9W" code as well as with the Emirates "EK" code.
According to Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO of Jet Airways: "Dubai is an important market for Jet Airways and there is significant demand from our customers to travel to and beyond Dubai. We are delighted to be able to get this exciting new agreement up and running quickly for the benefit of our
