C.D. Glin: Playing the Long Game
‘Perspectives’ is a joint project of The Beautiful Truth and Leaders on Purpose. During the 6th annual Leaders on Purpose CEO Summit in September 2023, The Beautiful Truth conducted interviews with influential corporate leaders and thought leaders. The goal was to gain insight into their perspectives on purposeful business and answer the question: what actions should our businesses take in the current historical context?
C.D. Glin is President of the PepsiCo Foundation and the Global Head of Social Impact for PepsiCo. He leads the organisation’s social impact efforts and global employee engagement programmes, underpinned by PepsiCo Foundation’s three core pillars of creating equitable access to nutritious food, safe water and economic opportunity.
“It’s important to stay committed to the needs of the community, not just through short-term projects, but by becoming a long-term partner working to bring about systemic change.”
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
How can businesses ensure their longevity?
Business is no longer about just showing up and maximising profit for shareholders; we must also factor in our contributions to society and our community stakeholders. To have longevity, a business must be purposeful in the positive impact it wants to have if it is going to live another day, another quarter or for years to come.
To make this impact, a business must have a local, lasting and leading approach. It’s important to stay committed to the needs of the community, not just through short-term projects, but by becoming a long-term partner working to bring about systemic change.
As a business, you must go beyond the mantra of “do no harm” and embrace the mindset of doing the most good for the most people by creating shared value. By bringing in corporate assets, profits, people and products to help address the societal needs of a community, you are creating local ownership that will catalyse long-lasting business opportunities for community members.
This work isn’t easy, but we have to ask ourselves: “What can we do for others? What more can we do?” We will make it through, and we will have the world that we’re envisioning, but it’s going to take time. So be curious, be a contributor and stay committed to the journey.
What attributes do purpose-led leaders have?
A purpose-led leader must be curious, committed and caring.
To bring about change, leaders must have an inquisitive mindset and approach situations with intellectual curiosity. For me, this means always looking for the ‘why’ when listening to the needs of a community and working together to find solutions.
To create lasting change, it is crucial to stay committed. Being dedicated and staying the course is important, but it goes beyond that. Leaders must also be resilient through the many challenges they’ll face to stay focused on seeing their commitment through.
And caring is key. A leader needs to be empathetic to the communities they’re serving to fully understand the challenges they face and how to address them. A leader shows they truly care when they couple their empathy with their actions to make an impact.
What motivates you?
I’m focused on being of service to others, creating opportunities for others and having an impact on others.
I’m in a role that I consider a privilege because service beyond myself is what drives my work, and this is not just something I have to do; it’s something I get to do. Every day, I wake up and show up to ensure that PepsiCo is living up to its values as a socially impactful leader and company.
“A leader shows they truly care when they couple their empathy with their actions to make an impact.”
Up until now, I have spent my career working in the nonprofit and government sectors, where service has always been a key part of my work. But this is my dream job because I have always wanted to create opportunities for as many people to do good and to have the biggest impact possible.
Why is it important to be aware of your supply chains?
Supply chain is all about how we think of our process from end to end, or in many cases at PepsiCo from seed to smile – we plant a potato seed that goes through a multi-step process to eventually bring a smile to your face when you open a bag of chips. And the future of business is in ‘how’ we use our supply chain to make, move and sell our products. We need to be aware of how we do this more efficiently, sustainably and affordably to support our communities.
As a food and beverage company, we create opportunities through our supply chains, procurement and sourcing. However, we need to be mindful of the communities we work in that are facing food insecurity, lack of access to safe water and inequality. By focusing on our supply chain, we can work to ensure we’re doing our part to help reverse these issues, create more equitable opportunities and be a positive vehicle for change and transformation.
“In these uncertain, volatile, yet inspiring times, a leader has to be intentional in how they show up, inspire their employees, impact their communities and create value for people through their work and activities.”
How has the role of business changed?
Trust in business is strong, with Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer showing that business is the most trusted institution. With public trust behind it, business’s role has changed to go beyond the bottom line and work to be a positive force for good in communities, for people and the planet.
Businesses now have the opportunity to be a trusted voice and partner in their communities. When we focus on bringing the totality of what we offer – our products, people and process – into the communities we serve we can continue building this trust.
I’ve seen this transformation firsthand during my time at PepsiCo, where we’ve created an end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the centre of how we create value. Our goal is to drive growth for the company while being a leading force for people and the planet.
What is the importance of being a purpose-led leader?
A Martin Luther King Jr quote I often think back on is: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Being purpose-led is all about consistently asking yourself this question. A leader can’t only focus on themselves, but also on what they’re doing for others. By being purpose-led, you are thinking outside of yourself to be a part of something bigger.
This holistic perspective allows you to view the entire system beyond your role. We have a reciprocal relationship with the communities we serve – they buy our product, and we must find purposeful ways to give back to them and continue to lift them.
In these uncertain, volatile, yet inspiring times, a leader has to be intentional in how they show up, inspire their employees, impact their communities and create value for people through their work and activities. To be a leader today, you must be driven by purpose.
