Frito-Lay Exec Named CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America

Frito-Lay Chief Commercial Officer and Senior Vice President Steven Williams was recently selected by PepsiCo Inc. to serve as the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA) as the current holder of the post, Vivek Sankaran, prepares to leave the company. 

A March 29 company press release said Williams will take on the new role immediately, while Sankaran is slated to leave PepsiCo this April 12 to become the president and chief executive officer of food retailer Albertsons.

“Steven is the ideal leader for our North America food business, and his appointment is a testament to our strong bench of talent,” the firm’s chairman and chief executive officer, Ramon Laguarta, said in a statement. “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.”

Williams most recently headed Frito-Lay North America’s (FLNA) customer, field, and foodservice sales teams, go-to-market strategy and execution, and leading an organization of over 29,000 workers. He also held the roles of division dive president for the Eastern Division of Frito-Lay, global SVP of PepsiCo’s Walmart business, and oversaw sales for many of PepsiCo’s top food and beverage brands. 

“Steven’s appointment comes as Vivek, one of our most respective 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,” said Laguarta. “We have benefitted from Vivek’s strategic vision and many contribitions over the last decade, and are pleased to continue to work with him as he transitions to join one of our largest North American customers.”

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