IAMC

INDUSTRIAL ASSEST MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

IAMC Member Spotlight

power

As an organization, IAMC fosters relationships that turn into both business partnerships and long-term friendships. The path to corporate real estate varies widely, and our members come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds.

We thank Betsy Power, Director of Global Real Estate, PepsiCo, for sharing hers!

  1. Tell us a little bit about you and your background.
    I am currently the Director of PepsiCo Global Real Estate.  I manage the Frito-Lay NA supply chain portfolio.  I grew up in a small community outside of Tyler, TX.  I attended the University of North Texas and Texas Tech University School of Law.
  2. Tell us about your path to corporate real estate.
    I practiced law for approximately 20 years specializing in personal injury defense.  I spent 6 years in operations at Starbucks as a District Manager overseeing 14 retail locations.  In 2011, I entered the commercial real estate industry by joining Fischer where I spent 5 years as a transaction manager.  In 2016, I joined PepsiCo as the Director of Real Estate for Frito-Lay.
  3. What is the scope of your responsibilities at your organization?
    I am responsible for all real estate transactions related to our manufacturing and supply chain facilities in the U.S. and Canada.  I also manage a team of lease administrators who support our 1,500 leased facilities in the U.S. and Canada.
  4. What is your favorite part of your role or the industry as a whole?
    Every day and every project is a new challenge.  I have approximately 150+ active projects at any time, and I love working with my cross-functional teams to solve a need for our supply chain and sales partners.  Every time I walk down the salty snack aisle at my grocery store, it gives me great satisfaction to know that my team plays a key role in keeping our customers stocked with Doritos and Flaming Hot Cheetos!  
  5. What is one skill specific to your job could you share with the rest of the membership?
    I think communication is the most important skill for success in my job.  My role involves massive amounts of communication throughout a typical workday, on the phone, in email and in person. Being friendly and respectful during interactions creates trust and cooperation and makes high pressure projects less stressful.  I’m a true believer in “work hard - be kind.” 
  6. Tell me about your tenure in IAMC.
    The first week I joined PepsiCo, my now retired colleague, Russell Burton, told me that I absolutely MUST join IAMC because it was the best industrial real estate organization around.  Russell was right because IAMC has an awesome networking environment, which is what I most enjoy.  I’ve made several connections with members of IAMC that ultimately translated into projects that benefitted my work supporting PepsiCo real estate. 
  7. Fun Facts!
    Tell us about one thing you have on your bucket list. 
    Tour every major wine making region in France, especially Champagne and the Rhone Valley.

    What was your first job?
    I worked in my aunt’s ice cream shop.  I was 14 years old and could only clean tables and stock candy jars, but I ate plenty of free ice cream!

    What would your superpower be? 
    Making the perfect micro-foam cappuccino, which I learned while working for Starbucks.

Thank you again to Betsy Power for letting us know more about her path to corporate real estate and IAMC!