Melissa Casey-Woodcock, Director of Talent Management for Global Groups & Functions at PepsiCo, champions inclusion as a coach, an innovator, and a leader. She coaches leaders at all levels on topics related to growth, development, and careers. She embraces uncomfortable conversations as opportunities to gain new insights and mutually learn. Melissa also finds new ways to integrate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into talent processes to minimize bias and inequity that could result from subjectivity or rushed decisions.
Melissa is also overseeing a project to scale international experiences for PepsiCo’s leaders. In a globalized economy, she believes it is important to develop a critical mass of leaders with a global mindset and well-rounded business acumen. Melissa came up with the idea as part of PepsiCo’s Next Big Idea contest, an annual competition that invites employees to develop innovative ideas to solve business challenges. Her team won second place in last year’s contest and is now being rolled out in select global functions in 2021, with plans to scale in the future. Melissa is proud to provide opportunities for employees to stretch out of their comfort zone to make an impact for PepsiCo.