*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).
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Kemtai Co-Founder breaks down how computer vision and artificial intelligence can improve your workout form; Wove Co-Founder explains how it's creating a one-of-a-kind engagement ring design process; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History By The Numbers.'
Andrew Wolgemuth, Co-Founder at Wove, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss Wove's unique engagement ring design process, which includes 3D printing replica rings, and the latest trends in the engagement ring industry.
Cheddar News explores perhaps the most divisive topic in American politics: abortion. The Supreme Court may change access in America with not just one but two major cases on its current docket so we traveled across the country to get viewpoints from both sides. Check out what we found as Megan Pratz hosts this full episode of 'Abortion in America.'
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
Wave Neuroscience announced a new collaboration with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) to provide Braincare services to Active-Duty Service Members and Veterans. Operation Synchrony is a one-month, outpatient program focused on restoring and optimizing neuronal function utilizing individualized neuromodulation. Dr. Erik Won, president & chief medical officer of Wave Neuroscience and Alex Balbir, director of independence services at Wounded Warrior Project joins Cheddar News to discuss.
A new book is looking to help people talk about race by educating them on the appropriate way to do it. 'Read This to Get Smarter: About Race, Class, Gender, Disability and More' is a non-judgmental guide structured in a way for readers who are just starting their journey or those already versed in social justice to follow. Blair Imani, author of 'Read This to Get Smarter joins Cheddar News to discuss the book.
Lauren Brody, author and founder of The Fifth Trimester joins Cheddar News to discuss the state of working mothers in America and how many women are feeling the pressure this pandemic has caused.
The nine justices heard arguments Wednesday, around a Mississippi abortion law that bans the procedure after 15 weeks and appeared to lean toward upholding the law, while leaving uncertainty about the landmark precedent, Roe v. Wade. Kristin Ford, vice president of communications and research at NARAL Pro-Choice America joins Cheddar News to discuss.
