Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi named to Amazon board

Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo and co-chairwoman of Gov. Ned Lamont”™s

Indra Nooyi PepsiCo — Indra Nooyi addresses the crowd. Photo by Peter Katz

Connecticut Economic Resource Center, has been appointed to the board of directors of Amazon.

Nooyi and co-chair Jim Smith, the former CEO of Webster Bank, were tasked by Lamont to reach out to Amazon after the e-commerce giant canceled its plans to open a second headquarters complex in the Long Island City section of Queens. Amazon did not seek a replacement for the jettisoned Long Island City site.

Nooyi is the second woman and the second woman of color to be added to Amazon”™s board this month, joining Starbucks”™ Chief Operating Officer Rosalind Brewer. Last year, the company faced criticism from African-American and Hispanic members of Congress for the lack of diversity among its board, which now consists of six men and five women.