PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) Stock: Announces Organizational Changes to Accelerate Growth

TLDR

• PEP trades near $150 as PepsiCo announces a broad leadership transition
• Steven Williams moves into a new global commercial and corporate affairs role
• Ram Krishnan becomes CEO of PepsiCo North America from December 28, 2025
• Organizational changes align with PepsiCo’s 2030 growth strategy
• Stock performance lags the S&P 500 across most time frames

PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) shares traded around $150.36 during Monday’s session, down 0.19%, as investors digested a sweeping leadership transition aimed at sharpening the company’s global execution.

PepsiCo, Inc., PEP

The consumer staples giant announced a series of senior management changes designed to accelerate growth, strengthen commercial operations, and support its long-term transformation agenda.

The headline move centers on Steven Williams, currently CEO of PepsiCo North America, who will assume the newly expanded role of Executive Vice President & Vice Chairman, Global Chief Commercial Officer & Corporate Affairs. The transition becomes effective December 28, 2025, and reflects PepsiCo’s effort to centralize its global selling strategy while reinforcing stakeholder engagement worldwide.

Steven Williams Takes on Global Commercial Role

In his new position, Williams will focus on building a unified global selling organization and advancing PepsiCo’s away-from-home business strategy. This segment remains a key growth pillar as consumer demand rebounds across foodservice, travel, and hospitality channels. His remit also includes corporate affairs, placing him at the center of regulatory, policy, and public engagement efforts in major markets.

Williams has led PepsiCo North America for the past year, overseeing the integration of foods and beverages operations and guiding investments in technology, AI, and supply chain modernization. Management views his experience as critical to aligning global commercial priorities with PepsiCo’s evolving portfolio and channel mix.

Ram Krishnan Named CEO of PepsiCo North America

With Williams stepping into his global role, Ram Krishnan will become CEO of PepsiCo North America on December 28, 2025. Krishnan brings a strong track record from his leadership of U.S. Beverages, where he drove portfolio innovation and go-to-market transformation. His mandate includes accelerating integration between foods and beverages where it creates value for consumers and customers.

Krishnan’s organization will include several key leaders. Rachel Ferdinando remains CEO of the U.S. Foods Category, while Mike Del Pozzo is promoted to President of the U.S. Beverages Category and joins the PepsiCo Executive Committee. Gregg Roden continues to lead the North America Supply Chain, and Bryan Santee will serve as Chief Commercial Officer, U.S., overseeing commercial and go-to-market teams.

Broader Organizational Changes

PepsiCo also announced leadership updates beyond North America. Athina Kanioura has been appointed CEO of Latin America Foods while retaining her role as Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer. She succeeds Paula Santilli, who will retire after a 35-year career with the company and remain through July to support a smooth transition.

Under Kanioura’s leadership, Latin America Foods is expected to deepen its use of digital-first solutions, AI, and new culinary initiatives. Management highlighted her experience in transformation and technology as central to sustaining momentum in the region.

These changes build on a year marked by unified North America operations, stronger brand investment, and modernization across manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. PepsiCo said the new structure positions the company to move faster and respond more effectively to shifting consumer preferences.

Market Performance Context

Despite its defensive profile, PepsiCo stock has lagged the broader market. As of December 15, 2025, PEP is up 2.86% year to date, well below the S&P 500’s 15.98% gain. Over one year, the stock is down 0.99%, while the index has risen 12.73%.

Longer-term performance also trails. PepsiCo has returned -7.88% over three years and 21.21% over five years, compared with S&P 500 gains of 75.09% and 84.63% over the same periods. This underperformance places added importance on execution of the company’s growth and transformation plans.

Investor Outlook

For investors, the leadership overhaul signals a renewed push to unlock growth across regions and channels. While PepsiCo’s stable cash flows and brand strength remain intact, markets will watch closely to see whether the new structure translates into stronger revenue momentum and improved shareholder returns over time.

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