Delta CEO Ed Bastian Credits PepsiCo for His Leadership—Here’s Why
- Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian credits PepsiCo with instilling the leadership principles that have guided his career, and contributed to Delta’s success.
- Speaking on Fortune’s Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast, Bastian explained that PepsiCo’s focus on talent development wasn’t just beneficial to his own career trajectory, but has shaped...
- The company’s approach to leadership development has been recognized for years.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian credits PepsiCo with instilling the leadership principles that have guided his career, and contributed to Delta’s success. Bastian revealed in a recent Fortune podcast interview that the beverage giant operates as a “talent factory,” deliberately cultivating and deploying leaders across industries.
Speaking on Fortune’s Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast, Bastian explained that PepsiCo’s focus on talent development wasn’t just beneficial to his own career trajectory, but has shaped a generation of business leaders. “[At PepsiCo], you’re surrounded by great talent. They understood that talent is going to win in the marketplace,” Bastian told Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell. “They were constantly recruiting, bringing talent. It’s one of the only places I’ve ever been to where they tell you when you start, you’re probably not going to retire here because it’s a talent factory.”
The company’s approach to leadership development has been recognized for years. A December 2022 analysis identified at least a dozen Fortune 500 CEOs who previously held positions at PepsiCo, including Chris Kempczinski of McDonald’s and Beth Ford of Land O’Lakes.
PepsiCo’s “Academy Company” Model
PepsiCo’s success in developing leaders stems from the work of Bob Eichinger, an industrial organizational psychologist who joined the company in the late 1970s. Eichinger implemented psychometric testing to evaluate executive performance and effectiveness, solidifying PepsiCo’s reputation as an “academy company,” as described by Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.
A key component of PepsiCo’s system is the identification of “hi-pos”—the top 20% of performers—who are then strategically placed in challenging assignments, international rotations, and cross-functional roles. This deliberate movement of talent, even against the objections of current managers, is designed to foster broad operational expertise rather than narrow specialization.
Bastian noted that the expectation of career mobility is ingrained in PepsiCo’s culture from the outset. “You learn what you can, you grow, and some people stay, but many people take what they have, and they go test their wares in another industry,” he said.
For Bastian, that next step led him to the airline industry. His extensive travel experience while working with PepsiCo’s international finance team naturally steered him toward aviation. “Someone told me at one point I should consider working for an airline because I’m on a plane all the time,” he recalled. “And I said that kind of made sense.”
That intuition proved correct. Bastian joined Delta in 1998 as a vice president of finance, becoming CFO in 2005, and ultimately assuming the role of CEO in 2016. Under his leadership, Delta has become a dominant force in the airline industry, consistently ranking high in on-time performance, boasting a market capitalization exceeding $40 billion, and earning a reputation as the most profitable U.S. Carrier.
From Auditor to Aviation Leader
Bastian’s path to leadership wasn’t conventional. He opted not to pursue an MBA immediately after graduating from St. Bonaventure University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1979, citing financial constraints. However, he recognized the need to address skill gaps as his career progressed.
“I went right to work, I didn’t have the money or the patience to get any post-graduate education,” Bastian explained. He viewed his time at PepsiCo as a valuable alternative to formal business education, providing a world-class learning experience without the tuition costs.
Beyond the technical skills he honed, Bastian emphasized the importance of prioritizing customers and making sound decisions. However, he believes the most crucial lesson was the importance of humility and remembering those who contributed to his success.
“My best advice is to make certain that you’re taking care of the people that got you there.”
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines
Bastian, 68, believes that humility—a willingness to listen and appreciate the contributions of others—is a defining characteristic of great leaders. He demonstrated this commitment through Delta’s annual profit-sharing program, distributing $1.3 billion to its over 100,000 employees in February 2026, averaging more than four weeks of extra pay per employee.
In an era increasingly focused on technology, Bastian maintains that human instincts remain paramount. “Understand what leadership is about—it’s about people, it’s about leading people,” he said. “And that will get you further than anything you could ever do.”
Delta is celebrating Ed Bastian’s 10th year as CEO in 2026. Under his leadership, the airline has invested heavily in technology, aircraft, and airport facilities, while prioritizing its employees and customer experience. Delta was recently named among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ranking No. 11 in 2026.