Read full story for latest details. : During 24 years at the company, half of which she spent as CEO, she acquired big-name brands, invested in healthy products and fended off a call to split up Pepsi's (PEP) food and beverage businesses. Nooyi, who announced Monday that she will step down in October, leaves behind a nimbler company, more responsive to the evolving tastes of its customers. "She recognized at a pretty early stage that consumer trends were changing," said Duane Stanford, the executive editor of Beverage Digest, a trade publication.