PepsiCo CEO Shares Insights at Ross School
The Sanger Leadership Center hosted CEO Ram Krishnan for a leadership dialogue session.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in People
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PepsiCo CEO Ram Krishnan visited the University of Michigan to discuss leadership during the annual Leadership Dialogues speaker series. The event held at the Ross School of Business featured a dialogue between Krishnan and faculty member Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks.
Why it matters
The appearance highlights ongoing efforts by the university to connect current students with high-level corporate executives. Such engagements provide community members and students direct access to insights from leaders of major global organizations.
Approximately 100 students and community members attended the leadership event at the Ross School of Business. The figure represents total participants across the private reception and the subsequent panel discussion.
The players
Ram Krishnan
He is the CEO of PepsiCo and an alumnus of the University of Michigan.
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks
He is a faculty member at the University of Michigan who served as the moderator for the event.
Eric Pellegrini
He serves as the senior marketing director at PepsiCo.
The details
The program included a private reception for students followed by a formal panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks. PepsiCo senior marketing director Eric Pellegrini was also present at the leadership event.
Timeline
The event took place on the afternoon of Friday, October 16, 2026.
Market Landscape
The visit follows the long-standing tradition of industry giants engaging with academic institutions to cultivate future talent pipelines. This event aligns with the broader corporate strategy of strengthening ties with top-tier universities to maintain brand relevance.
The event offered local students and community members a rare opportunity to engage directly with a global corporate leader. Participants gained first-hand professional advice that may influence their own future career trajectories in the corporate sector.
The takeaway
Engaging with high-level executives can provide valuable lessons on leadership and professional development for students entering the workforce. These dialogues serve as a bridge between academic theory and the practical realities of managing major multinational corporations.
Further reading
Explore more leadership and career perspectives on the Ann Arbor People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Michigan Daily.
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