PepsiCo, Inc. announced that Debra Crew has been named president, PepsiCo Americas Beverages.
In this new expanded role, Crew will oversee PepsiCo's Gatorade and Tropicana business in North America, its Latin America Beverages business, as well as the company's North America warehouse sales organization and Beverage Growth Ventures Group. She will report to PepsiCo Americas Beverages CEO Al Carey and be based in Chicago. Sarah Robb O'Hagan, who had served as president of Gatorade, is leaving PepsiCo to pursue other opportunities.
The new role is consistent with PepsiCo's strategy announced earlier this year to drive more integration, collaboration and efficiency across its businesses.
Crew, who currently serves as president of PepsiCo's Western Europe business and also has responsibility for commercial and innovation planning across the company's Europe sector, is one of PepsiCo's rising executive leaders. She has strong multi-category experience, and is a seasoned global leader in international brand building, general management, product development and innovation.
Prior to joining PepsiCo, Crew worked for Mars, Inc. as general manager and a chief marketing officer. Crew also spent a number of years in leadership and brand management roles at Kraft Foods, where her experience included foodservice, snacks and desserts. She also held senior roles at Nestle. Crew earned her MBA from the University of Chicago and her B.A. from the University of Denver, and previously served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said in a prepared statement: "Debra is a highly respected executive within PepsiCo and I'm delighted to have her move into this critically important role. She brings strong leadership and diverse experience across multiple food and beverage categories to her new position and will be a driver of continued growth across the businesses she'll be overseeing."
"We thank Sarah for everything she contributed to Gatorade's continued success as one of the world's leading sports nutrition brands," Nooyi continued. "She leaves behind a very healthy business and a strong bench of talent at Gatorade, and we wish her all the best in the future."
As part of the new structure, the company will name new leaders at Gatorade and Western Europe in the coming weeks.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the team in Chicago," Crew said. "Gatorade and Tropicana are undisputed categories leaders, we have a strong and growing beverage business throughout Latin America, and we have highly attractive opportunities for incremental growth throughout our beverage portfolio. I look forward to working with our teams to fully maximize these opportunities moving forward."
Crew joined PepsiCo in April 2010 as president of PepsiCo's Western Europe business, based in Geneva.
