BIG LEAGUE

THREE Indian-origin CEOs, Indra Nooyi, Francisco D'Souza and Ramani Ayer, have figured among the best US chief executives in the seventh annual listing of best American CEOs by the Institutional Investor magazine.
    Pepsi's Ms Nooyi, Cognizant Technologies' Mr D'Souza and Hartford Financial's Mr Ayer feature in the list of CEOs who, according to the magazine, stand out "for being forthright and transparent with shareholders and smart with their companies' balance sheets". They also earn high praise for keeping their companies on course, said a statement from the magazine.
    Around 900 investment professionals at more than 460 firms that manage $6.6 trillion in the US equities identified the best CEOs in 57 industry sectors in the list.
    PepsiCo's Nooyi tops the beverages segment in the listing followed by Coca-Cola's Muhtar Kent. Mr D'- Souza ranks No. 3 in the technology list topped by Accenture's William Green. Ramani Ayer, who heads the Hartford Financial Services Group is 3rd in the life insurance segment.
    Both Ms Nooyi and Mr D'Souza have been honoured by The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence in the past. Ms Nooyi, who won the ET Global Indian of the Year in 2006, also headed the awards jury in 2008. Mr D'Souza was selected by ET as the entrepreneur of the year in 2005.