*By Conor White*
PepsiCo's [decision](https://qz.com/work/1349337/pepsicos-long-serving-ceo-indra-nooyi-is-replaced-by-a-man/) that CEO Indra Nooyi will be replaced by company executive Ramon Laguarta highlights the gender disparity in C-Suite roles, an issue that's only getting worse, said New York Times gender correspondent Susan Chira.
"Nooyi said she would've loved to have chosen a woman," Chira said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar. "But there was no one Pepsi saw as a credible successor to her, and I think that's very discouraging."
Nooyi's departure is the latest in a string of female CEO exits since mid-2017, including Marissa Mayer (Yahoo), Irene Rosenfeld (MDLZ) and Meg Whitman (Hewlett Packard Enterprise). Including Nooyi, the number of female S&P 500 chiefs has shrunk 25 percent ー from 32 to 23 ー since last year.
"When women go, it's very seldom that they're replaced by other women," Chira said. "So it's not just that it's really hard to get to the top, it's that the pipeline of women that are seen as credible successors is incredibly small."
During Nooyi's 12-year term as CEO, sales at the company grew [80 percent](https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/10/investing/pepsi-earnings-frito-lay/index.html?iid=EL).
But Chira said that women are less likely to be "targeted" or "seen as leaders," and therefore are not granted an equal opportunity to prove themselves.
"This is something the corporate world has to examine searchingly because all the solutions haven't really worked," Chira said.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-c-suite-gender-problem).
A Gallup poll finds that now 7.1% of American adults identify as LGBTQ, jumping from 3.5% in 2012. The increase is driven by Generation-Z – those born between 1997 and 2003 – of whom one out of five identify as LGBTQ. Cheddar News speaks with Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson about the significant shift.
Bamboo-based toilet paper company Cloud Paper raised $5 million in a recent funding round. Its product is a bamboo-based alternative to traditional toilet paper made from trees, and its mission is to end the deforestation caused by traditional paper products. Cloud Paper says the raise will allow it to make significant investments in its supply chain, product development, and hiring. Ryan Fritsch, a co-founder of Cloud Paper, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Anne Price, president of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, discusses how Black Americans have been adversely impacted by rising home prices and offers tips for wealth building.
Ellen Goodwin, Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Artifcts, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating a platform to preserve the history of your belongings, and her experience succeeding in male-dominated industries.
Keren Sachs, Founder and CEO at The Luupe, joins ChedHER to discuss how her platform bridges the gap between diverse creators and brands, and what the future of the creator economy looks like.
Thelma Ferguson, Managing Director & Northeast Segment Head at JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking, joins ChedHER to discuss the upcoming Women Presidents Organization's "50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies" ranking, and what kind of impact women entrepreneurs have on the overall economy.
On this episode of ChedHER: Artifcts Co-Founder breaks down how she's creating a platform to preserve the history of your belongings; The Luupe CEO explains how her platform bridges the gap between diverse creators and brands; Managing Director & Northeast Segment Head at JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking discusses the upcoming Women Presidents Organization's "50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies" ranking.
