Allies in action: Real stories of allyship from PepsiCo associates

“I never felt like I belonged.”

That’s the first thing Bruna Alves says about the importance of allyship. She knows the difference allies can make, because she’s felt what it’s like not to have them.

“I felt awkward in my role and not understood,” says Bruna, a Transformation Finance Senior Manager for PepsiCo’s Latin America region, of her early career days before she came to PepsiCo. The uncomfortable feelings left her wondering if she was even on the right path. But then she met people who were willing to share their own experiences and help her, and things began to change.

“Their support eventually led me to understand the importance of seeing who I truly am — a Black woman — and what that meant. It taught me how powerful we can become if we join efforts to support each other.”

At its core, this is why allyship matters. Being an ally means using your power or privilege to help support others, being an advocate, taking action and using your voice to give others a platform from which to speak.

At PepsiCo, we believe allyship plays a key role in driving an inclusive culture. We champion this through employee resource groups (ERGs), such as Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) and Women of Color (WoC), and through  enrichment programs like the Transformational Leadership Program in Ireland and Canada and the INSPIRA Program in Latin America.

While programs are important, it’s our associates who truly bring allyship to life. Here’s what PepsiCo associates say allyship looks like — and here’s their best advice for how you can be an ally, too.

Allyship means opening doors to opportunity

Sometimes allies give you more than support — they also provide help in overcoming obstacles.

“I worked with a woman who I knew could make a greater impact on our business,” says Santi Minguito, a Senior Security Director for international markets. Santi wanted to make the associate’s work more visible and create situations where she could work with different groups and leaders who could help grow her career.

To start, he proposed that she join PepsiCo’s Unconscious Bias program and other leadership initiatives.

There was a challenge. The associate felt she couldn’t fully commit to the opportunities due to family and work obligations . But instead of backing off, Santi became a collaborator. “I did what I feel an ally should,” Santi says. “I sat down with her and identified things that she could delegate or rethink. We made a plan.”

The associate made time for the opportunities Santi presented, and her potential was soon recognized by other leaders. Since then, she has earned a promotion. And she’s serving as an ally to others.

Allyship means creating a team

Sometimes allyship can extend beyond the workplace.

“It’s important to create a supportive and celebratory leadership culture,” says Kaylee Niestrom, a Frito-Lay Zone Sales Director. About two years ago, that culture came to life in a new way when a team member told Kaylee she was planning to run a half-marathon. Kaylee’s response? Let’s do it together.

She helped bring together nine women for that first half-marathon. Since then, they’ve run in a new city, hit personal best times and built connections that strengthen their work together. Today, several men are on the team as allies to offer support. (A crucial outcome, as research shows that encouraging men as allies is a key to gender equity.)

“I know the incredible benefit of bringing your whole self to work,” Kaylee says. “And developing these organic relationships that promote allyship can positively impact the dynamic of the team.”

Allyship means creating more allies 

Yousef Walker, a Senior Legal Director for PepsiCo’s AMESA region, has been part of PepsiCo ERGs like Women Inclusion Network, as well as a leadership group outside of PepsiCo that supports inclusion efforts throughout the Middle East. But a chance conversation led to an experience that reshaped his thinking.

Over coffee one day, he and a colleague started talking about their shared interest in inclusivity and celebrating diverse backgrounds. The colleague asked, “Have you ever heard of I Am Remarkable?”

#IAmRemarkable is a program that empowers people to celebrate their achievements. Created in 2016 by two female senior executives at Google, it has grown into a global organization that fosters allyship.

Yousef was “blown away” by a 90-minute #IAmRemarkable session that focused on learning to create a culture of psychological safety. Since then, he has received training to become an #IAmRemarkable leader and has run more than 40 sessions for teams both inside and outside of PepsiCo.

“So many people are looking for allyship,” Yousef says. And he’s taking steps to create the allies that individuals need.

Allyship means paying it forward

At its best, allyship leads to action that inspires others so that it’s magnified and makes an outsized impact.

Bruna Alves attributes her career achievements at PepsiCo — as well as the feeling that she does belong — in part to the allies who supported her when she needed it most. “Because of that, I’ve decided to be this person for others,” Bruna says. “I want us to get places where no one like us got in the past.” To do that, along with offering coaching and mentoring, Bruna has helped her team get diversity training that not only helped them reach diversity goals, but also helped improve their performance and results.

Bruna knows that her efforts can shape her workplace and, ultimately, our company. “A place where everyone feels welcome and can be their true self is a more creative, innovative, diverse and successful place. That’s where I want to work.”

PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/National Origin/Age/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Disability/Protected Veteran