PepsiCo appoints Ram Krishnan as chief commercial officer

PepsiCo has announced that Ram Krishnan, its current chief executive officer for Greater China, will become the global chief commercial officer for the food and beverage giant.

Krishnan has been part of the company since 2006, and has held various roles at Frito-Lay, ultimately becoming the business’s chief marketing officer in 2014. Achievements during this time include creating an innovation incubator model; launching D3 studios, PepsiCo’s in-house design studio; and utilising data to streamline the company’s approach to marketing.

Krishnan’s appointment is due to Laxman Narasimhan’s departure, who will move on to become chief executive officer of health and hygiene conglomerate the Reckitt Benckiser Group.

PepsiCo chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Laguarta said: “Ram is a proven leader with deep consumer and customer understanding who also knows how to harness data to drive business growth.

“[What’s] equally important [is that] he embodies how we do business – the PepsiCo way – embracing consumer centricity, acting as an owner and celebrating success across each position that he’s held.

“Ram understands the importance of competing locally, which has driven his ability to win in both Eastern and Western markets. He is just the kind of competitive, strategic leader we need as PepsiCo continues on our journey to accelerate growth.”

Laguarta continued: “Ram’s appointment comes as Laxman, a highly respected leader, begins a new, exciting chapter in his career. We have benefited from Laxman’s strategic vision over the past seven years and are grateful for his many contributions to PepsiCo’s success.”