Good Business, Great Talent...Poor People Leaders - Anonymous employee PepsiCo Employee Review

3.0
Jan 28, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

PepsiCo is an accomplished organization with high caliber people. Compensation is above average and business performance is consistent. There are lots of opportunities to grow given good results.

Cons

There is very much an up or out attitude as you progress to executive levels. It's a somewhat unforgiving organization. If you get sideways with leaders you should leave because the organization memory is long-tested. At Fritolay there was a strong culture and good values. However, that has slowly eroded. It's now more like PepsiCo that is mostly characterized by talented people that are poor people leaders. Great leaders tend to leave. Work-Life balance is a big challenge. Indra Nooyi has made PepsiCo a pulpit for her personal values. It's hurt the business at times and alienated many inside and outside the organization. She takes no accountability for her actions and failures. She appears to not care about anyone but herself.

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5.0
Apr 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working conditions are acceptable. Fellow employees are friendly and helpful.

Cons

None that I can think of.

4.0
May 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Worked for PepsiCo for 10 years across four locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Gained experience in multiple sales and operational roles while supporting account growth, merchandising, and customer relationships. Florida locations were especially well-operated and efficient. PepsiCo provided competitive pay, solid benefits through Keystone, and a good vacation package compared to competitors in the beverage industry. The company also offered strong sales incentive programs, earning rewards such as Orlando Magic floor seats, Pro Bowl tickets, Apple Watches, and Yeti cups for exceeding performance goals and driving sales results.

Cons

While PepsiCo promotes internal growth opportunities, many promotions and leadership opportunities appeared to favor college internship hires over long-term internal employees. In some cases, newer college-based management pushed corporate initiatives without fully understanding local market realities or account volume trends. For example, innovation products were sometimes forced into low-volume accounts where sell-through was unrealistic. Operationally, certain delivery processes could be improved, particularly with Tropicana products being stored in coolers on trucks for extended periods, which could impact product quality and increase waste. Work-life balance could also be challenging, as sales representatives commonly worked 50–60 hour weeks. Expectations from corporate leadership were often unrealistic, especially when customer representatives and drivers were expected to fully stock stores while servicing 15+ accounts per day. Experiences could also vary depending on whether locations were union or non-union operated.

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