ICC calls on-board Indra Nooyi as its first female Independent Director

The International Cricket Council (ICC) in a unanimous decision to have a female Independent Director on board has appointed Indra Nooyi, Pepsi Co CEO and Chairman, to the ICC Board. She happens to be the organization’s first independent female director. Indra will join the Board in June 2018, as confirmed in a meeting on Friday.

The decision taken by the ICC Full Council in June 2017 was seen as a part of wide-ranging constitutional change aimed at improving the global governance of the sport.

Indra is a world recognised business leader, consistently ranked by Fortune Magazine among the World’s Most Powerful Women. As Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, she has been responsible for an illustrious global food and beverage portfolio that includes 22 brands generating more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales, including Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi-Cola.

Commenting on the decision, ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar mentioned that, “We are delighted to welcome Indra to the ICC. Adding another independent director – particularly a female – is such an important step forward in improving our governance. To have someone of Indra’s calibre is fantastic news for the global game – she is frequently recognized as one of the most influential people in business today, running one of the world’s biggest corporations.

“We undertook a global search looking for the right candidate who would complement the existing skills and experience already on our Board. A cricket enthusiast with experience in the commercial sector and independent of the ICC, any Member or state or associated organisation were the primary criteria and in Indra, we have found an exceptional new colleague and we look forward to working with her in the future,” he added.

Commenting on the unprecedented appointment, Nooyi said that, “I love the game of cricket. I played it as a teenager and in college, and to this day, I cherish the lessons the game taught me about teamwork, integrity, respect, and healthy competition. I am thrilled to join the ICC as the first person to be appointed to this role. And I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board, ICC’s incredible partners, and cricketers around the world to grow our sport responsibly and give our fans a new reason to follow every ball and shot.”

The Independent Director will be appointed for a two-year term although she may be re-appointed for two further terms with a maximum six-year consecutive period of service.