O TYM ODCINKU
In this episode of Middle Manager Mastery, I sit down with Yogesh Garde, Vice President of Digital Strategy & Transformation at PepsiCo. With over 22 years of experience across PepsiCo, Deloitte, IBM, and consulting, Yogesh shares practical lessons on transitioning from being an exceptional executor to becoming a strategic business leader.
The conversation explores what separates high-performing middle managers from executives, how to develop strategic thinking, influence without authority, navigate AI-driven disruption, and create psychologically safe teams that innovate and grow.
About Yogesh
Yogesh Garde is the Vice President of Digital Strategy & Transformation at PepsiCo. Over the past two decades, he has led large-scale digital transformations, built global capability centers, scaled product organizations, and helped organizations navigate complex change through strategy, innovation, and leadership.
Timestamps:00:00 Intro & Welcome
01:16 Why strategic thinking matters for middle managers
02:15 The career shift from execution to strategy
05:25 How to build strategic thinking as a daily habit
11:15 Using OKRs to prioritize what truly matters
15:39 Influence without authority & speaking your stakeholders' language
17:51 The biggest mindset mistakes middle managers make
24:18 AI, disruption & keeping teams motivated through change
31:50 Is AI making us less creative?
36:07 Does AI free up time- or just create more work?
39:40 Building psychological safety in teams
43:45 Final leadership advice for every middle manager
45:18 Outro
