PepsiCo Foods North America appoints new CEO

Global food and beverage company PepsiCo has appointed Steven Williams as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA).

PFNA includes brands such as Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) and Quaker Foods North America (QFNA).

Steven Williams is currently serving as senior vice-president and chief commercial officer for Frito-Lay’s US operations. He will be replacing Vivek Sankaran who will leave the company on 12 April 2019 to join Albertsons Companies as its new president and CEO.

PepsiCo chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said: “Steven is the ideal leader for our North America food businesses, and his appointment is a testament to our strong bench of talent.

“He has deep knowledge of the industry and our business, and we will greatly benefit from his inspirational leadership, broad customer knowledge, intimacy with consumer trends, and experience developing talent as we build on our already strong foundation.”

In 2001, Williams joined PepsiCo as part of the food major’s acquisition of Quaker Oats Company. He joined Quaker Oats in 1997.

Prior to being selected as CEO of PFNA, Williams led FLNA’s customer, field and foodservice sales teams, go-to-market strategy and execution. He was responsible for overseeing the organisation with more than 29,000 employees.

Laguarta further added: “Steven’s appointment comes as Vivek, one of our respected executives and friends, begins another exciting chapter in his career. Under Vivek’s direction, Frito-Lay expanded its position as a category leader, introduced many new and successful products and delivered excellent performance.

“We have benefited from Vivek’s strategic vision and many contributions over the last decade, and are pleased to continue to work with him as he transitions to join one of our largest North America customers.”

Last August, PepsiCo’s board of directors announced the exit of Indra K Nooyi as the company’s CEO following more than a decade of strong performance.

In 2018, PepsiCo reported net revenue of over $64bn. It has a presence in over 200 countries.