PepsiCo’s women of the frontline share their boundary-breaking career stories

“I want to rewrite the rules of who can do this job,” Ruthanne Sir says. As a Pre-Sell Representative in Nashville, Tennessee, she’s already broken stereotypes. A 2023 Gartner survey found that women filled just 31% of the frontline roles in the supply chain workforce, despite making up about half of the United States labor force overall. Women at PepsiCo like Ruthanne aspire to help change those figures.

To show the opportunity for women to follow in Ruthanne’s footsteps and pursue careers in the frontline, PepsiCo has unveiled the global She Is PepsiCo campaign. In countries across the globe, dozens of semi-trailers are on the roads featuring photos of trailblazing women in male-dominated fields.

“I hope that seeing my face on this truck will inspire other women in Tennessee to believe in themselves,” Ruthanne says. Here six other She Is PepsiCo honorees share their career stories:

Cristina Cimpoieru

Warehouse Keeper, Bucharest, Romania

Over the course of her 17-year career, Christina has stacked up many accomplishments, but she’s proudest of being a morale-booster at her Bucharest facility. “I enjoy cultivating a positive team culture,” she says. She is also a dedicated mentor, sharing her experience with the women she works with so they too can build long careers at the company.

Kris Dunlap

Quality Control Technician, Indianapolis, Indiana

Kris came to PepsiCo from the medical field and found a role that fills her with a sense of purpose. She spends her days maintaining laboratory equipment, testing ingredient samples, and tracking data, all of which is crucial to maintaining the highest food safety standards at the company’s Indianapolis facility. Her advice to others: “Be confident with having success. It’s key for women aspiring to leadership roles.”

Saadia El Attaoui

Production Operator, Burgos, Spain

When Saadia joined the company, she noticed that there weren’t any women working in the Burgos division that makes popped snacks like Lay’s Poppables. Inspired to change that, Saadia became the first and now helps operate the line that cleans and cooks the potatoes. “Any woman can do any role if she paves her own way,” she says.

Chadera Finley

Maintenance Mechanic, Mesquite, Texas

Chadera was drawn to the challenge of working with machinery that her role at PepsiCo offers. The military veteran is an avid motorcyclist in her free time, so a job fine-tuning engines, checking sensors and making repairs was a perfect fit. And now that she has established herself, she’s looking to carve out a path for other women to follow her. “Don’t be intimidated,” Chadera says. “You’ll never know if you can do it unless you try.”

Kanoe Kapana

Merchandiser, Salt Lake City, Utah

“She is PepsiCo is a reminder to all women that you can be whatever you want to be,” Kanoe says. Following her own advice, Kanoe sought out the position of Merchandiser because she wanted to take on work that kept her on her feet and out in the field. She spends her shifts visiting customers on her route, ensuring their store shelves are stocked and creating traffic-stopping displays.

Reyna Pac

Direct-to-Store Sales, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Reyna has picked up many skills during her 10 years as a salesperson for PepsiCo. She’s learned how to form meaningful relationships with customers, expertly negotiate deals, and create effective sales displays, being recognized multiple times for her performance along the way. Now, she’s passing on her wealth of knowledge: Reyna is a leader of a committee dedicated to the development of female sellers. “I want to encourage other women to keep studying and striving to achieve their dreams,” she says. “There are no limits just for being women.”