The drink of choice: Lin Thandar Aung

When you’re the first ever international soft drink brand to go on sale in a country, you’re bound to blaze a few trails. Such is the way for PepsiCo in the South-East Asian nation of Myanmar.

Throughout the 1990s, Pepsi won the hearts and thirsts of a generation in Myanmar. Now, 30 years later, the company behind Pepsi’s presence in the country, Lotte MGS Beverages Myanmar, is full of people who grew up with the brand and understand its appeal.

People like Lin Thandar Aung, CEO of Pepsi Myanmar.

"I was born in the north-west part of the country, a place called Chin State, and I was raised in Yangon," she tells The CEO Magazine.

Growth and support

Originally a junior programmer, Lin shifted to finance when her interest in business matured.

"If you don’t have a strong knowledge of finance, you’re not going to be able to run a successful business," she points out.

After years abroad, Lin returned to Myanmar when the country started opening back up in 2014.

"I wanted to participate in that change," she recalls. "I started working for an electricity infrastructure company and those were exciting times. When a role came up at Pepsi Myanmar, I went for it because it was a new challenge for me."

That role, Principal Transformation Officer, was as transformative for Lin as it was for Pepsi Myanmar. She thrived and three years later, she was elevated to Director of Commercial Operations. Lin stepped into the CEO role just eight months after that, a precipitous rise inspired by an icon of the industry.

"I always looked up to [former PepsiCo CEO] Indra Nooyi; she was a role model for me," she says. "And now that I’m in a similar place, I’m hoping I’m going to be able to inspire local girls in Myanmar in the same way. I want women to be able to put their hands up and say, ‘I’m going to take charge of this and take this project to the next level.’"

Pepsi Myanmar took a chance when promoting Lin to the role. The company is a joint venture of Myanmar Golden Star and South Korea’s Lotte Chilsung Beverages. Lin says she impressed the Korean Group President.

"He was very supportive of me taking on this role," she says. "I felt I had to lead the company the way I wanted to lead and still deliver results, and I’ve been given full autonomy to do so."

Supporting women

Those results speak for themselves. Under Lin’s leadership as Commercial Director, Pepsi Myanmar grew 2.4 times in volume and 11 times in terms of outlet networks compared to four years ago.

"That was a huge achievement," she says with pride. "As a result, one of our sales personnel was awarded the PepsiCo Chairman’s Ring of Honor Award. She’s still very junior and had zero sales experience when she started, so for her to have gone to New York City to receive this prestigious award was a very proud moment for me."

Lin has placed a great emphasis on elevating the women around her, but not at the expense of the men.

"At Pepsi Myanmar, we consciously create a conducive environment for girls to move up to the next level," she says. "Coupled with the support for our male counterparts, it creates a diverse yet balanced workplace. That way, your strategies have greater balance and are better for it."

Lotte MGS as a whole enjoys 60 percent female leadership, but Lin says it’s a hard-won achievement.

"My predecessor, although a male leader, was a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and played a pivotal role in driving this success," she explains.

"For women to reach the C-suite, they need a support system in place. We’ve implemented a lot of workshops, mentorships and career counseling to make that possible, and it’s working."

On the streets, Pepsi Myanmar’s people work tirelessly to promote the brand to retailers. Lin says she’s very much focused on the smaller stores that so many Myanmar associate with Pepsi from childhood.

"Mom and pop retailers are key," she says.

"If we can provide the smaller guys with a better margin, they’ll have stronger spending power. Household incomes will be better and they’ll be able to spend more on their children in terms of education and healthcare.

"When we focus on the smaller end, we’re investing in the macroeconomic development of the whole country."

With so many of those smaller operators in Myanmar, Lin is extending Pepsi’s capacity.

"In fact, by the end of 2024 we’ll have doubled," she predicts. "We have a five-year expansion plan that’s quite aggressive. We’ll introduce more products into the market as well, such as further zero sugar options and different pack sizes."

Leaving a legacy

In an environment as volatile and trend-driven as fast-moving consumer goods, Lin believes it’s critical to stay agile, thereby better serving changing tastes.

"Our senior management team can capture and absorb information fast, and provide it to the team in order to adapt quickly. Agility is a keyword," she says.

That information is driven by Pepsi Myanmar’s technological advancements, such as its consumer app.

"Shopkeepers can order our products through the app and we can provide better service by visiting in person," she points out. "Innovation goes hand in hand with collaboration."

Strong collaboration with partners and suppliers is another pillar of Pepsi Myanmar’s business strategy, according to Lin.

"Those relationships are so important. We’re constantly in communication and we always listen to their difficulties. If we’re able to help them out, we do it," she reveals.

It’s a philosophy that stems from Lin’s approach to leadership.

"Guide your flock, as Nelson Mandela said," she says.

"The younger generation needs to lead better than me, so I need to provide them with support. If they make mistakes, I have to help them learn. If there’s a legacy I want to leave behind in this company, that’s it."