Pepsi CFO Indra Nooyi gets bloggered

The top item today on the Pepsico web site:

PepsiCo President and CFO Indra Nooyi delivered a commencement address May 15 at Columbia University’s Business School.

In speaking about the powerful role America holds in the world today, Ms. Nooyi encouraged these new business leaders to make a positive and personal difference as representatives of this great country. She used the analogy of a human hand to emphasize America’s leadership position and to ensure it continues as the world’s “helping hand.”

Regrettably, the analogy was interpreted in some circles as unpatriotic or disrespectful. As a result of this feedback, Indra issued a formal apology.

Read "in some cirlces" as "in several blogs".

Here's the text of Nooyi's apology:

A message from PepsiCo's President & CFO, Indra Nooyi
Following my remarks to the graduating class of Columbia University’s Business School in New York City, I have come to realize that my words and examples about America unintentionally depicted our country negatively and hurt people.

I appreciate the honest comments that have been shared with me since then, and am deeply sorry for offending anyone. I love America unshakably – without hesitation – and am extremely grateful for the opportunities and support our great nation has always provided me.

Over the years I’ve witnessed and advised others how a thoughtless gesture or comment can hurt good, caring people. Regrettably, I’ve proven my own point. Please accept my sincere apologies.

– Indra Nooyi

The Times of India has a detailed version of the developments:

In her address last Sunday, the Chennai-born Nooyi compared the five major continents of the world to the five fingers of the human hand. First was Africa -the pinky finger - small and somewhat insignificant but when hurt, the entire hand hurt with it. Next was Asia - the thumb - strong and powerful, yearning to become a bigger player on the world stage. Third was Europe - the index finger - pointing the way. Fourth was South America - the ring finger - the finger which symbolizes love and sensualness.

According to some students who were present at the graduation ceremony and who fired up the issue in the blogosphere, Nooyi then reserved the remaining finger for the United States (and not North America, they say), launching into "a diatribe about how the US is seen as the middle finger to the rest of the world."

They say she then went on to make "condescending" remarks on about America's role in the world and how it is "our responsibility to change the current state of world opinion of the US and make the other fingers rise in unison with us as we move forward."...

... Talking to this correspondent on Wednesday evening, Nooyi regretted that her remarks were being cited out of context on various blogs. She pointed out that the predominant theme of the address was how to advance American interests.

Jeff Nolan, a VC, points out the big picture: the mainstream media had zero role to play in Nooyi's humbling.

if there was any question to the notion that corporate entities should pay very close attention to the blogsphere, this should settle it. Go check out the Yahoo message board for Pepsi (NYSE:PEP) following the ugly commencement speech that CFO Indra Nooyi gave to Columbia's MBA graduating class recently. This story erupted in blogs over the last week, not a word spilled about it in the MSM (nor would there be considering what Nooyi was saying in her speech.) The firestorm caused Nooyi to put a statement on Pepsico's website first suggesting that her comments were misconstrued, but today there is a statement on the homepage expressing that she is "deeply sorry".