FDBusiness.com

PepsiCo’s board of directors has unanimously elected Ramon Laguarta to succeed Indra Nooyi as chief executive officer. Indra Nooyi will step down on October 3rd after 24 years with the company, the last 12 as chief executive. She will remain chairman until early 2019 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. Under Indra Nooyi’s leadership, PepsiCo has delivered strong results:

* Since December 31, 2006, total shareholder return of 162% through December 31, 2017;

* Total cash returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases of $79.4 billion since the beginning of 2006 through the end of 2017;

* Dividends per share nearly tripled from $1.16 in 2006 to $3.17 in 2017, a compound annual growth rate of nearly 10%;

* Net revenue growth from $35 billion in 2006 to $63.5 billion in 2017, a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%.

“Leading PepsiCo has truly been the honor of my lifetime, and I’m incredibly proud of all we have done over the past 12 years to advance the interests not only of shareholders, but all our stakeholders in the communities we serve,” says Indra Nooyi. “Growing up in India, I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary company. Guided by our philosophy of Performance with Purpose—delivering sustained performance while making more nutritious products, limiting our environmental footprint and lifting up all the communities we serve—we’ve made a more meaningful impact in people’s lives than I ever dreamed possible. PepsiCo today is in a strong position for continued growth with its brightest days still ahead.”

She continues: “Ramon Laguarta is exactly the right person to build on our success. He is a terrific executive with a long and proven track record of growing businesses. He has a deep understanding of the changing preferences of consumers and other critical trends unfolding around the world, and he has demonstrated that he knows how to navigate them successfully. Ramon has been a critical partner in running the company, and I’m confident he will take PepsiCo to new and greater heights in the years to come.”

Ramon Laguarta will become the sixth chief executive officer in PepsiCo’s 53-year history. All have been appointed from within the organization, a testament to PepsiCo’s strong bench of talent and succession planning.

Ramon Laguarta has held a number of executive and general management roles in his 22 years at PepsiCo. Since September 2017, Laguarta has served as president of PepsiCo, overseeing global operations, corporate strategy, public policy and government affairs. Previously, Laguarta served as chief executive officer, Europe Sub-Saharan Africa, one of PepsiCo’s most complex businesses with operations spanning three continents and comprised of developed, developing and emerging markets. Prior to that, he served as president, PepsiCo Eastern Europe region and served in a variety of sales, marketing and other commercial roles across Europe.

In closing, Indra Nooyi says: “This company has been my life for nearly a quarter century and part of my heart will always remain here. But I am proud of all we’ve done to position PepsiCo for success, confident that Ramon and his senior leadership team will continue prudently balancing short-term and long-term priorities, and excited for all the great things that are in store for this company. PepsiCo’s best days are still ahead of it.”