Pepsi's VP of HR Dannii Portsmouth prioritizes career growth for 12k employees

Dannii Portsmouth oversees 12,000 employees as the vice president of HR for Pepsi's West division. While the scope of her role is massive, she's dedicated to making each employee feel like they have a place — and a future — at the company. 

"We in the West actually have 50% of the U.S. landmass, so it's a broad geography and very diverse," she says. "I'm very clear that my intent when I get out of bed in the morning is to help the person in front of me thrive." 

For Portsmouth, that focus means highlighting career growth for frontline associates and creating opportunities for them to climb up the corporate ladder. Pepsi has focused this work post-pandemic through their "3-C's": career, connection and community. 

"Basically 50% of our executives in the West Division came to us either through a frontline role or as a campus hire, so we have really doubled down on illustrating that the career opportunities are really there," Portsmouth says. "We take a very thoughtful approach to our people agenda. Why keep coming to Pepsi?" 

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To answer that question, Portsmouth and her team have focused on finding the right fit from the start, with campus hiring initiatives and apprenticeship programs. Once talent is at Pepsi, a focus on showing that the company cares for them has become vital, especially post-COVID, Portsmouth says. 

"All of those things were important during COVID, where we showed that we genuinely cared about our people and would take care of them and their families, and we're continuing that now that we're out of crisis," she says. "Over the last 10 months, we've mandated career conversations for all of our associates in frontline roles, so we're able to see what they want and then find ways to deliver that." 

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Acknowledging the role that frontline employees play at Pepsi trickles down through every part of the organization, Portsmouth says. When frontline employees feel successful and cared for, it sets the rest of the company up for success. 

"We couldn't run with our associates in the frontline, and we've found our roots in what is important for our customer experience," she says. "It's critical that we feel proud of that, and there's a real business imperative to understanding that." 

While the stakes can feel high for a household name like Pepsi, Portsmouth says she and her team are determined to create a culture where people feel safe to try new things, and see a place for themselves long-term. That vision helps their teams grow, and feel connected to the larger purpose of the brand. 

"I think what we have to get right every time is our intention, and there's responsibility to live our values," Portsmouth says. "Pepsi is hugely people-driven, and that means there's trust in our organization, both internally and externally."