http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200901171862.htm
Indra Nooyi attends dinner with Obama
Washington (PTI): PepsiCo chief and Indian American, Indra Nooyi, attended dinner for a select group of foreign policy experts hosted by President-elect Barack Obama, media reports has said.
(snip)
While the Website did not reveal the name of Indra Nooyi as one of the participants, Politico confirmed on its website yesterday that Indian-born Pepsi CEO was a guest at this small dinner with Obama and a handful of foreign policy experts and top aides.
Notably, an Indian American group last week urged Obama to nominate Nooyi as his Secretary of Commerce, a Cabinet post which is still vacant.
Thanks for the "heads up!"
Pepsi’s CEO gave a speech a few years ago in which she likened America to the middle finger:
“This analogy of the five fingers as the five major continents leaves the long, middle finger for North America, and, in particular, the United States. As the longest of the fingers, it really stands out. The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all of the fingers working together efficiently and effectively. This is a really good thing, and has given the U.S. a leg up in global business since the end of World War I.
“However, if used inappropriately — just like the U.S. itself — the middle finger can convey a negative message and get us in trouble. You know what I’m talking about. In fact, I suspect you’re hoping that I’ll demonstrate what I mean. And trust me, I’m not looking for volunteers to model.
“Discretion being the better part of valor...I think I’ll pass.
“What is most crucial to my analogy of the five fingers as the five major continents, is that each of us in the U.S. — the long middle finger — must be careful that when we extend our arm in either a business or political sense, we take pains to assure we are giving a hand...not the finger. Sometimes this is very difficult. Because the U.S. — the middle finger — sticks out so much, we can send the wrong message unintentionally.
“Unfortunately, I think this is how the rest of the world looks at the U.S. right now. Not as part of the hand — giving strength and purpose to the rest of the fingers — but, instead, scratching our nose and sending a far different signal.”
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/may2005/nf20050520_9852.htm