"I am very proud of what our 90,000 colleagues at Mondelēz International have accomplished," said Rosenfeld in a statement. "Throughout my tenure as CEO, the world and our industry have undergone a period of unprecedented change. The outlook is bright for this great company — one of the few that has consistently delivered on both the top and bottom lines while making critical investments for future growth."

Below are excerpts from the interview she gave Women of Color magazine in the spring of 2015.

“Many people ask me what kinds of experiences are best for their career. And my answer is those that will enable you to see the world from different perspectives. As I look back, every experience has taught me something I have been able to draw upon. Collecting different experiences, both good and bad, makes one a broader, more well-rounded leader."

Five “rules of the road” she considers relevant when one is part of a team or a leader.

• Get the right people on the bus! Make sure you have the right people in the right places to help with the challenges at hand.

• Give people a roadmap so you can share where you’re going.

• Engage people’s hearts and minds – reinvigorate, invent and engage with people.

• Move quickly…even if it makes you uncomfortable.

• Communicate frequently, consistently and honestly.

Rosenfeld's greatest challenge in teamwork and/or leadership are two attributes she has found will either help or hurt you more than any others: honesty and authenticity. Undoubtedly, honing the two over her career have helped her climb to the top.

Her best pieces of advice are the same tips she shares with others looking to progress their own careers.

• Make a difference.

A business needs to be better for your having been there. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got.” I’ve always challenged myself and the people who work with me to take new approaches to traditional business challenges, to push the envelope and constantly ask whether our sacred cows are still producing milk.

You simply cannot hope to steal second base with your foot firmly planted on first! You need to be prepared to stand out from the crowd — to take on risky jobs or make tough decisions. So, while I know that it can be scary, I encourage young people to take smart risks — and see what happens.

A mentor should be someone who can give you the inside scoop, help you avoid landmines and otherwise teach you the unwritten rules of company politics. Take advantage of anyone whom you respect with good insights about the company, proximity to key decision-makers and a willingness to coach you in the unwritten rules of your company.

Some of my most significant promotions were for jobs that I had expressed a strong desire for. But that boldness doesn’t always come naturally. I can’t guarantee success — even if you ask very directly — but it’s certainly worth trying before going through the aggravation of changing jobs. I hate to see people frustrated or leave a company for an opportunity they could easily have had at their current company if they had only asked.

Treat people with the respect, dignity, and candor you’d like to be treated.

“I’m here to help the organization accomplish its objectives rather than they are here to meet my needs,” Rosenfeld concluded. “Once you recognize that, you can engage the hearts and minds of your followers. And they are able to deliver the kind of results you are looking for.”

Irene Rosenfeld leads more than 100,000 employees in a global snacking powerhouse. The Financial Times and Fortune magazine ranked her on their lists of the “Top 50 Women in Global Business” and “50 Most Powerful Women in Business.” In Forbes's "Power Women,” she ranks number 15 on the list.

Mondelēz International, Inc. operates in 165 countries in chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands such as Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate, Jacobs coffee, LU, Nabisco and Oreo biscuits, Tang powdered beverages and Trident gum. According to one market monitor, Mondelēz International holds the No. 1 position globally in biscuits, chocolate, candy and powdered beverages as well as the No. 2 position in gum and coffee.

Since Rosenfeld became CEO, then chairman of Mondelēz International in March 2007, she has changed the face, footprint, and prospects of the company by reinvigorating iconic brands, transforming the portfolio into high-growth snacks categories and strengthening its presence in vibrant emerging markets.

A close look at her biography shows that it’s not much of a stretch to think Irene Rosenfeld grew up knowing how money works.

Her father was a Long Island, New York accountant and her mother a homemaker. The story goes that young Irene Blecker dreamed of being president of the United States.

In 1975, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology — the first of three degrees from Cornell University. Two years later she earned a master’s degree in business, followed by a Ph.D. in marketing and statistics in 1980.

She began her career learning from consumer data before joining General Foods Corporation’s marketing department in 1981. During the first 14 years of her career, she managed brands ranging from Kool-Aid to Maxwell House coffee to Oscar Mayer meats.

In 1985, General Foods was bought by the Altria Group (parent company of Philip Morris) and over a decade merged with Kraft Foods, another Altria acquisition.

A decade later, Rosenfeld was put in charge of Kraft Foods’ Canadian division. She also worked on integrating the biscuit products of Nabisco into Kraft Foods. In 2001, she was part of a committee that prepared Kraft Foods for its first public stock offering. Three years later, Rosenfeld left Kraft for Frito-Lay to serve as CEO and chairman, during which the company extended its product line by introducing a number of low-salt, low-fat snacks.

In 2006, she returned to Kraft Foods as CEO and became chairman of the board in 2007. She set about introducing products, entering expanding markets abroad, and reorganizing the selling of mature American brands. Four years later, she succeeded in an aggressive takeover of British confectioner, Cadbury, and then moved to split Kraft Foods into two companies, one selling grocery items in North America and the other – Mondelēz International -- marketing snack products around the world.

Rosenfeld is active in industry and community organizations, including The Economic Club of Chicago, the Board of the Consumer Goods Forum and The Business Council.