About

‘I think interestingly business leaders are some of the most creative people I’ve ever met’. Originally a fine arts graduate, Heidi Dubois is passionate about the brands she supports. ‘The diversity of thinking that you get to see every day in-house I think really keeps me on my toes. You’re truly integrated in the business and you kind of get an ownership you don’t get to in a law firm. The plus is that you’re living with it, and the minus is that you’re living with it!’ Beginning her in-house career at Fortune 300 insurer Assurant, the truly global nature of PepsiCo’s brand really appealed to her, she says. The company’s “performance with purpose” policy on corporate governance is particularly dear to her heart. A strong advocate for the importance of the issue, Dubois is the elected president for the Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Officials’ New York Chapter, which holds a conference every year. ‘I think what’s really special about that conference is it’s really about advancing the conversation on corporate governance’. She has also been active in adapting the company’s proxy statement to shareholders on the subject, to make it more functional and user-friendly. With the many competing demands of measures such as Dodd-Frank, Dubois says prioritizing requirements and, with it, effective risk analysis is ‘a constant challenge’. ‘Trying to ensure you cover it all is tough and the best way to address it is to make sure you keep talking to people – I suppose it’s a learnt skill’. The variety of her current role, she says, is what she enjoys the most, as well as being another key area of challenge. ‘You need to be a curious person to be successful – you get to wear a lot of different hats’.