Indra Nooyi becomes ICC’s first independent female director

Dubai, Feb 9 (IANS) Pepsico chairman Indra Nooyi was on Friday named the first independent female director of the International Cricket Council ICC).

Nooyi will join the world cricket body's Board in June 2018 to align with the term of the ICC independent chairman, following the unanimous confirmation of her appointment on Friday.

The Independent Director will be appointed for a two-year term although she may be re-appointed for two further terms with a maximum six-year consecutive period of service.

The introduction of an Independent Director, who must be female, was approved by the ICC Full Council in June 2017 as part of wide ranging constitutional change aimed at improving the global governance of the sport.

Commenting on the development ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar said: "We are delighted to welcome Indra to the ICC. Adding another independent director -- particularly a female -- is such an important step forward in improving our governance. To have someone of Indra's calibre is fantastic news for the global game, she is frequently recognised as one of the most influential people in business today, running one of the world's biggest corporations."

"We undertook a global search looking for the right candidate who would complement the existing skills and experience already on our Board.

"A cricket enthusiast with experience in the commercial sector and independent of the ICC, any Member or state or associated organisation were the primary criteria and in Indra we have found an exceptional new colleague and we look forward to working with her in the future," he added.

Expressing her love for the game, Nooyi said: "I love the game of cricket. I played it as a teenager and in college, and to this day, I cherish the lessons the game taught me about teamwork, integrity, respect and healthy competition."

"I am thrilled to join the ICC as the first person to be appointed to this role. And I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board, ICC's incredible partners, and cricketers around the world to grow our sport responsibly and give our fans a new reason to follow every ball and shot," she added.