Indra Nooyi

Nooyi was PepsiCo's strategy chief before becoming chief executive in 2006, succeeding Steve Reinemund in a planned handover. Twelve years later she handed over to Ramon Laguarta, an insider who had run the European and global operations, with a clear timetable and a few months as chair. PepsiCo's revenue grew substantially during her tenure and continued under Laguarta, and both transitions passed without the boardroom drama common elsewhere.