Indra Nooyi

Nooyi marks her ninth year atop the $66.6 billion snack-and-drink behemoth in a stronger position than she’s been in for a long time. She beat back a challenge from activist investor Nelson Peltz, landed a big marketing deal with the NBA, and managed to post 4% organic revenue growth in 2014 even as consumers’ tastes have shifted toward kale and quinoa. She removed aspartame from Diet Pepsi this year—and has boosted R&D growth accordingly. Yet people are still eating Lay’s—also good news for Nooyi.