Banking on a taste for sweets

Reducing costs, product variety will mean success over long term

Irene Rosenfeld hardly has the air of being one of the world's 50 most powerful women. Watching her rolling a suitcase to the boardroom one could easily mistake her as one of the several executives getting ready to pop in for a quick meeting or a conference call at the Mondelez International Inc office in Shanghai.

But beneath her soft demeanor, Rosenfeld is the no-nonsense and straight-talking chairwoman and chief executive officer of global foods giant Mondelez International that owns global brands like Oreo cookies, Trident gum and Cadbury chocolates. She can charm one and all with her immense industry knowledge and gentle voice.