FDBusiness.com

PepsiCo has announced a series of leadership appointments and realigned some of its business segments to support the company’s global business priorities and growth strategies.

Hugh Johnston, executive vice president and chief financial officer, is being named vice chairman. He will continue to serve as CFO, as well as oversee the Quaker Foods North America business and PepsiCo’s global e-commerce organization. In addition, he will now have responsibility for the company’s global business and information solutions function, which provides information technology systems and solutions across PepsiCo.

The expansion of Johnston’s responsibilities comes as PepsiCo continues to pre-emptively address global trends that are reshaping the food and beverage industry. One such trend is the rise of the digitally connected consumer and the emergence of e-commerce as a new distribution channel. Putting the company’s information technology and e-commerce organizations under the oversight of a vice chairman will accelerate new solutions and further strengthen PepsiCo’s digital technology capabilities.

Hugh Johnston.

The move follows PepsiCo’s appointment of Mehmood Khan, executive vice president and chief scientific officer, to vice chairman earlier this year. In his role, Khan is focused on leading PepsiCo’s global sustainability agenda and identifying new ways to embed sustainable business practices across all facets of the company’s business. He continues to lead PepsiCo’s global Research & Development organization.

Eugene Willemsen, currently president, PepsiCo Lipton, has been named executive vice president, Global Categories & Franchise Management. He will be responsible for overseeing the company’s global beverages, global snacks and global nutrition groups, as well as its global franchise organization. Willemsen will also continue to oversee PepsiCo’s Lipton relationship.

Brian Newman, currently senior vice president and general manager, Global E-Commerce, has been named executive vice president, Global Operations. He will be responsible for global operations and supply chain, global procurement, productivity, global security, risk management and corporate strategy.

Laxman Narasimhan, currently CEO, Latin America Foods, has been named CEO, Latin America. He will now lead an integrated food and beverage business across the region, creating new opportunities to leverage the scale of PepsiCo’s complementary brand portfolio and enable greater synergies.

Narasimhan’s appointment accompanies a realignment of certain reportable segments of PepsiCo’s business that will begin in the third quarter of 2015. The company’s food and beverage businesses in Latin America will be combined and reported as Latin America, creating a Latin America segment consistent with PepsiCo’s other international segments, which are managed as integrated food and beverage businesses.

PepsiCo Americas Beverages will be renamed as North America Beverages, led by CEO Al Carey. In addition, Carey will play a broader role in the company as leader of its Center of Excellence on Customer Management.

PepsiCo’s Sub-Saharan Africa business, which is currently part of the Asia, Middle East and Africa division, will move to the Europe segment, which is renamed Europe Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA). As a result, the Asia, Middle East and Africa segment (AMEA) will be renamed as Asia, Middle East and North Africa (AMENA). Ramon Laguarta will continue as CEO of ESSA, while Sanjeev Chadha will continue as CEO of AMENA.

Enderson Guimaraes, who previously had responsibility for many of the areas now overseen by Willemsen and Newman, has chosen to pursue an opportunity outside PepsiCo after four years with the company. Guimaraes had a positive impact on the business during that time, transforming the operating model across the company’s Europe business and helping to drive an aggressive productivity agenda.

“Our consistent focus on talent development has built a best-in-class leadership pipeline that is fuelling our success and positioning PepsiCo well for sustainable long-term growth,” says PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. “These executives are highly respected leaders across PepsiCo and they bring unique strengths to their new roles. They each possess the strategic acuity, global mindset and operational know-how to succeed in today’s dynamic business environment, and they will play key roles in driving our business forward.”