PepsiCo’s HR chief for Europe Dannii Portsmouth tells Ashleigh Webber how it is focusing on employee experience and trying to improve social mobility – an ambition that includes running a refugee mentoring scheme.
When it comes to a multinational corporation like PepsiCo with thousands of employees across the globe, it might be assumed that it has a disparate workplace culture; where a production operative or a delivery driver feels like a tiny cog in an immense corporate machine.
However, for its new SVP for HR in Europe Dannii Portsmouth, PepsiCo’s culture is all about belonging, empowerment and ownership; an organisation where employees want to stay because they know it will invest in their careers and development.
Portsmouth, who became CHRO for Europe last year, joined PepsiCo as its head of HR for the UK and Ireland in 2019 before relocating to the US to oversee the people function for its PepsiCo Beverages North America West division, which spans 12 states.
Employee experience
Brand and belonging: why workplace culture is key to retention
Although there were similarities between people priorities and challenges, she says each state could sometimes feel like a different country due to differences in local laws and cultures – something that has prepared her well for her Europe-wide role.
“Having come from global roles I’ve learned that people are different; even within one country people are different, and there’s rich diversity in culture,” she tells Personnel Today.
“In Europe, we have 40,000 people – that’s 40,000 livelihoods, 40,000 people with different needs.
“Truly listening to what people need is very important – and that’s what I love most about my role; understanding what makes people different and how we can help them thrive.”
She has been working closely with PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer to establish how the HR function can help deliver its PepsiCo Positive commitment, which focuses on putting sustainability and people at the heart of its business.
“We’re thinking about the employee experience and why people are choosing to be at Pepsi,” she says. “People’s experience is largely determined by the leader they work for, the cohort they work with, and the environment they work in. I’ve been focusing on what ‘great’ looks like in those three areas.
“What do we want our story to be, how we want people to feel about working here? Whether you decide to be at Pepsi for two years or 40 years, how can we ensure you are rewarded for your commitment and act as an ambassador for the experience that you’ve had?”
Helping people thrive
Part of the PepsiCo Positive agenda involves creating a “positive value chain” – giving people opportunities to have a greater purpose and impact inside and outside the organisation.
In Europe we have 40,000 people – that’s 40,000 livelihoods, 40,000 people with different needs.”
“I’m really interested in helping the person in front of us thrive and we really want our people to be able to learn and grow,” she says.
“Social mobility is a really important part of that and how want to help people by investing in them and giving them a chance.”
Some of the company’s initiatives include a mentoring scheme for refugees, which is being championed by its Northern Europe division in the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium. So far PepsiCo has mentored 50 refugee women.
It has also set an ambitious target to hire 500 refugees in Europe by 2026 – at present, 93 refugees have been given jobs.
Initiatives like this also help the company access diverse skills, suggests Portsmouth.
“We are very aware that there is so much global talent, so we need to make sure that we’re open-minded and we have the right programmes in place,” she says.
Careers without a ceiling
Having a positive working culture helps PepsiCo retain its people for the long term. Portsmouth has many examples of people who have started in entry-level roles and have worked their way up to positions of responsibility. For example, a picker in Poland who is now second in command for the country’s logistics operation, and a receptionist who is now the head of a plant in the UK.
“We truly believe if you have a great attitude and you are invested in in the right way, there is no ceiling for you. I think that’s what makes the difference,” she says.
The organisation has a wealth of opportunities and tools for upskilling. For example, its L&D platform offers online courses in topics ranging from artificial intelligence to accounting, while internal jobs and “stretch” assignments are often available for those who want to push themselves further or transition into a different area of the business.
An entrepreneurial spirit is also ingrained in the food and beverage giant’s culture, and employees are encouraged to take ownership of the areas they have influence.
Through its “Spark” initiative, employees are empowered to be demanding of their leaders and speak up about how the business can be improved.
Part of determining what employees want has also meant learning from its commercial teams, and Portsmouth recognises that a lot can be gleaned by gathering employee insights in a similar way to consumer insights.
Its “HR home club”, an initiative where HR professionals are brought together to share their learnings from their work across functions, has had sessions from the organisation’s head of insights on what the people function can learn from consumer insights and how to listen carefully to the employee voice.
We truly believe if you have a great attitude and you are invested in in the right way, there is no ceiling for you.”
Portsmouth says the HR home club is a chance for HR professionals to “ask the stupid questions, be vulnerable and celebrate achievements without worrying about humility” while they are working on projects across the organisation.
Priorities for 2024
Eight months into her role, Portsmouth has already made significant headway in her priorities for this year.
She wants the people function to truly understand the talent within the company and how development plans can be tailored to the needs of each individual.
Delivering a strong, diverse pipeline of talent for the future is also a priority, she says. PepsiCo aims to be representative of the diverse communities it serves, and while it has made significant progress with gender diversity – 48% of its leaders in Europe are female – there are other areas that Portsmouth says need focus.
She says the company’s employee resource groups have an important role, especially in developing a sense of allyship, but recognises that its D&I goals will not be achieved by these groups alone.
Finally, leadership capability is also a priority for her team. Portsmouth believes it is important for leaders to “do the hard work” themselves and ensure they are modelling desired capabilities including great feedback, communication and agility. Coaching will play a big part in developing these skills, she adds.
“I feel so privileged and thankful to have this opportunity right now in Pepsi,” she says. “As we transform our business, we really want to have these things at the centre.”
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