Angelique Bellmer Krembs: How to End Gender Bias in Workplaces

Angelique Bellmer Krembs, a former Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo, co-authored You Should Smile More: How to Dismantle Gender Bias in the Workplace. She is also one of the six co-founders of The Band of Sisters, a consultancy focused on fostering inclusive workplaces and prioritizing gender equity. As an advocate for open dialogue between women and men, Krembs believes in the potential for natural and professional allyship between them.

During the 2023 Business Today International Conference, Krembs, alongside executive and startup advisor Wagner Denuzzo, conducted a joint executive seminar for students in New York City. They offered invaluable advice on self-advocacy in a professional setting, coping with imposter syndrome, and transforming career rejections into pivotal life opportunities. Krembs shared her career journey, starting as a finance analyst at Merrill Lynch, transitioning to a fulfilling marketing role at PepsiCo, where she discovered her true potential.

Krembs’ 23-year tenure at PepsiCo brought her into contact with gender bias concerns, a topic she discussed with fellow female executives. She expressed that a driving force behind writing You Should Smile More was to ensure women are seen, heard, and valued at work. While the book centers on gender equity, Krembs views it as a broader discussion on leadership and valuing each team member.

The inspiration for the book originated unexpectedly. Krembs recalls, "We didn't start out to write a book." The idea emerged from a conversation following a dinner celebrating the retirement of PepsiCo's Chairwoman and CEO, Indra Nooyi, Krembs' former colleague. Surprised by their shared perspectives on gender equity after years in the industry, Krembs noted, "We were like, why are we still talking about this? We were missing something, for what else needs to get talked about?"

During the onset of COVID, the executives continued their discussions on gender equity. They compiled their thoughts in a Google document, laying the foundation for their co-authored book. Reflecting on the book's purpose, Krembs said, "How can we give back? How can we help the next generation of women?"

You Should Smile More, co-authored by six PepsiCo executives, delves into subtle aspects contributing to gender bias in the workplace. Krembs describes the book's structure: "31 chapters, each one is a little thing, and then we explain what the issue is. We cite all of the quantitative research which is already out there. We did our own qualitative research just to understand, are these things still happening today? Are young women still facing this? Then we tell our stories and have three pieces of advice. What do you do if it's you? What do you do if you're the boss, both men and women, and what do you do if you're the witness and you want to be an ally?"

The book aims to dissect and address gender bias in the workplace from various angles. Its ultimate goal is to raise awareness of gender bias and provide practical advice for creating a community in the workplace committed to ending it once and for all.