Dawn Hudson ’79

On calling the plays for Pepsi's big gains

"I actually was a Pepsi drinkergrowing up. I wasn't a fanatical Pepsi drinker; I just chose it when I had a soda. It was for special occasions. I don't know how many Pepsis I've had since, but most are diet. I usually drink one or two a day."

"I was very lucky to have anumber of Dartmouth's mostdistinguished professors takeme under their wings. They were wonderful role models for me, allowing me to give back as a mentor in business."

"I tell women who ask for careeradvice that there's nomagic formula. If you're not happy as a whole person you won't be happy in your job. You have to decide what you're willing to do and what you won't do, what you can accomplish in the time you're willing to give. You also have to realize that your career doesn't have to be on fire for 35 years. It can ebb and flow as you go through phases of your life."

"With a few exceptions the realtrailblazers a half generation ahead of me haven't been terribly supportive. Many of them got into leadership positions by being the only woman ognized. Now women have multiple opportunities to advance, which has fostered tremendous camaraderie."

"Being at Dartmouth when it was a predominantly male environmentallowed me to develop a lot of friendships with men while also learning to cooperate andcompete effectively with them. This has Jm fa helped in the corporate world."

"Men in the business world are very good at standing up for themselves, at screaming their accomplishmentsand capabilities. They tend to be less vocal or forthright about their weaknesses. Women are quicker to say, 'I can do better, I can get better.' They typically aren't as comfortable discussing their own capabilities and when they do, they can be misinterpreted. If a woman fails in business there is often the implication it's because she's a woman when it has nothing to do with gender. You don't see this happening in medicine and law."

"I learned from an efficiency coach that you've got to havean integrated to-do list with personal as well as professionalobligations. Mine might say 'call bottling partner' and call the kids' dance teacher.' You have to be forthright about it, not ashamed. You can't call the dentist or the kids' teachers at night. Todays more progressive companies realize this, especially with men and women who are juggling work and families."

"Exercise is my 'me time.' My psyche needs it. It gives me more energy, too."

"The attention being paid to the excesses of someexecutives has cast a pall over corporate America,but something good should come out of it: a higher commitment to ethical standards."

"The epiphany for the business world is thatI doing things the right way is good business. It helps to have a consumer base that rewards companies for doing that."

"The business I'm in is probably changing asdramatically and rapidly as any industryshort of technology. Today's young people are drinking a tremendous variety of beverages from Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana and Aquafina to Liptons Green Tea, SoBe and IZZE. Happily, PepsiCo makes them all."

"A company has to choose its celebrity spokespeople verycarefully. Britney Spears may not be the right fit today, but when we did our deal with her she was young and bubbly—just like Pepsi."

"I don't turn off my marketing sense inmy personal life. I get ideas from everywhere and that keeps me energized."

CAREER: President and CEO, Pepsi- Cola North America and PepsiCo Food Service, 2005 to present; previously senior V.P., strategy and marketing; managing partner, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, New York, 1996; managing partner, DDB Needham, 1986-95; board member, Lowe's, the LPGA, the American Beverage Institute, the American Film Institute NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Partnered with former President Bill Clinton to remove high-calorie sodas from schools; struck the 2002 Pepsi deal with the NFL, displacing Coke; No. 78 among Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women; ranked by SportsBusiness Journal in 2006 as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business; No. 41 among Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women; New York Ad Club Woman of the Year, 2002; inducted into Advertising Hall of Fame, 1997 EDUCATION: B.A., English PERSONAL: Married to Bruce Beach'72; children Morgan, 16, and Kendall, 9; sister is Delaine Hudson '84