Julia-Feliz Sessoms starts her day by “Working hard, being nice, treating people with respect and having integrity in everything that I do.”
Those leadership traits were gleaned from varied experiences in her life, including her employment at a charter school in D.C. and working as a legislative aide for the late Massachusetts Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy, who she endearingly says was “well respected and [who] debated issues people really cared about.”
Sessoms is now the director of global public policy and government affairs at PepsiCo Inc., the leading global food and beverage manufacturer of quality and respected brands such as Quaker Oats, Tropicana, Gatorade, Lay’s and Pepsi-Cola.
It’s a huge title with responsibilities to match. “I do a lot of our outreach to Congress, telling them about our purpose and the work we do especially on nutrition, human sustainability and environmental sustainability. In many ways, I advocate PepsiCo to various stakeholders,” she explains.
The Louisville, Ky., native has a rich background in politics and public policy. She joined PepsiCo in July 2009 from the Raben Group, a public affairs firm in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the firm’s health, commerce and financial services and constitution and justice practice groups. She also represented leading national nonprofit organizations, foundations and Fortune 500 companies.
She continues, “A lot of our consumers want to know what we are doing in terms of improving our nutritional quality. We do a lot to enable a healthy diet to our consumers — including expanding our portfolio for healthier products across the board. Our products are lower in sugar, saturated fat and sodium. We’ve announced our ‘Clear on Calories’ initiative, a change in labeling practices so that our consumers can see total serving sizes and total calories. Trends in obesity are serious. We removed full sugar products from schools and are working to improve, creating a healthier generation. We are continuing to evolve and make new commitments that are right, and we are doing it globally.”
It’s safe to say that Pepsi flows through her veins. “My family has always been a Pepsi family. [My employment with PepsiCo] is no coincidence. Part of that is because it’s a brand I really like, including Fritos and Ruffles potato chips. My healthy experiences with our brands is beginning [my day with] Quaker Oats oatmeal for breakfast,” she shares.
When she isn’t wielding her magic advocacy wand on Capitol Hill, Sessoms enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with family and friends . –yvette caslin
