PepsiCo Scales Back DEI Programs Following Trump's Policy
Coca-Cola Maintains Commitment to Diversity
In line with U.S. President Donald Trump's policy to abolish DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, American companies are scaling back their diversity programs. Food giant PepsiCo has also joined this trend.
On the 21st, foreign media reported a memo from Ramon Laguarta, CEO of PepsiCo, which stated that PepsiCo plans to downsize its DEI programs by abandoning human representation targets and not appointing a dedicated 'Chief Diversity Officer.'
CEO Laguarta revealed that over the past year, "we have improved our approach to focus on principles that align with long-term business strategy, respond to local markets, and drive sustainable growth." DEI opponent activist Robby Starbuck disclosed Laguarta's memo on social media on the 20th, and PepsiCo officially confirmed it.
PepsiCo's rival, Coca-Cola, has taken a different approach. The company expressed the view that a lack of workforce diversity could negatively impact its business.
Some media outlets reported that Coca-Cola included in its annual filings that "if we cannot attract or retain professionals or top talent with diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that reflect the broad consumers and markets we serve worldwide, our business could be negatively affected."
Meanwhile, since Trump signed an executive order to abolish DEI policies on his first day in office, major big tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, and Google have successively abolished or scaled back their DEI programs. This trend accelerated as the Trump administration threatened criminal investigations against companies with "illegal" DEI provisions.
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