8 Beverage Leadership Moves We're Watching
By Steve Holtz on Aug. 10, 2018CHICAGO -- After 24 years with PepsiCo Inc., including 12 as CEO, Indra Nooyi will step down as leader of the beverage and snack company on Oct. 3. Nooyi is only the fifth CEO of the venerable company based in Purchase, N.Y.
As she prepares to move on, CSP Daily News looks at PepsiCo's leadership transition and seven other executive changes at beverage companies in the United States ...
Photo courtesy of World Economic Forum.
1. PepsiCo
PepsiCo’s board of directors has unanimously elected Ramon Laguarta to succeed Nooyi as CEO of the company.
Nooyi will step down Oct. 3. She will remain chairman until early 2019 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition, the company said. Laguarta was also elected to the board, effective Oct. 3.
Since September 2017, Laguarta has been president of PepsiCo, overseeing global operations, corporate strategy, public policy and government affairs. Previously, he was CEO of PepsiCo’s Sub-Saharan Africa business and president of PepsiCo’s Eastern Europe region. Laguarta will become the sixth CEO in PepsiCo's 53-year history, all appointed from within the organization.
2. Monster Beverage
Energy-drink maker Monster Beverage Corp. promoted Emelie Tirre to president of the Americas and Guy Carling to president of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), both new executive officer positions within the company.
Tirre is responsible for the continued growth and success of the North America sales team. In her new role, Emelie will be expanding her commercial responsibilities to oversee the Americas, which includes the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, and on an interim basis, Australia and New Zealand. Emelie joined the Corona, Calif.-based company in 2010.
Carling started with the company in 2007. Over the past 11 years, he has overseen the development and expansion of more than 80 markets in Europe (including Russia), the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.
3. Boston Beer
The Boston Beer Co. Inc. has selected Dave Burwick to succeed Martin Roper as president and CEO. Jim Koch will continue in his role as company founder and chairman.
Burwick is the previous president and CEO of Peet's Coffee. Under Burwick's leadership, Peet's has more than doubled its sales and profits over the past five years. Prior to joining Peet's, Burwick served as president of North America for Weight Watchers and in numerous leadership roles over 20 years at PepsiCo, including CMO of Pepsi-Cola North America.
4. Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
The Washington, D.C.-based Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) executive committee has named Michelle Korsmo incoming president and CEO.
Korsmo is currently CEO of the American Land Title Association, the advocacy, education, networking and industry standards organization serving the real estate settlement and land title industry. She will join WSWA full time in mid-September.
5. Peet's Coffee
Peet’s Coffee appointed Kenneth C. "Casey" Keller Jr. as CEO effective Aug. 6. Keller succeeds Dave Burwick, who had served as CEO of Peet’s Coffee since 2012 and left the company in February to become president and CEO of the Boston Beer Co.
Until recently, Keller served as global president of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., a Chicago-based subsidiary of Mars Inc., where he was responsible for delivering sales and profit growth across the global gum, mints and candy business.
6. Hoist
Cincinnati-based "rapid hydration" beverage maker Hoist has expanded its leadership team with the addition of industry veteran and former Coca-Cola Co. executive Hal Kravitz.
Kravitz will assemble and lead a new advisory board that will be tasked with developing the strategy behind the company's first outside capital raise to fund company growth.
Kravitz is also an equity partner in Hoist. His beverage-industry background includes 30 years at the Coca-Cola Co., where he led vitaminwater and smartwater. He also was CEO of AquaHydrate Inc., the performance water brand created by Mark Wahlberg and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Albert (Trey) Heekin, partner at law firm Frost Brown Todd, will also serve as an advisory board member, as well as legal counsel for Hoist. Heekin’s background includes expertise in corporate law, small businesses and venture capital financing. Additional advisory board members will be named later this year, according to the company.
Photo courtesy of Business Wire.
7. Celsius
Boca Raton, Fla.-based beverage maker Celsius Holdings Inc. hired Edwin F. Negron-Carballo as its new chief financial officer. This addition to the leadership relieves CEO John Fieldly, appointed in May 2018, of his additional duties as CFO, a position he held for his first six years with Celsius Holdings.
Negron-Carballo brings more than 30 years of financial and operational experience to the organization, the company said. His background includes domestic and international experience with work in standardization and implementation of Six Sigma processes in complex environments. His career spans decades of senior financial management experience in companies such as Tyco Healthcare-Latin America, Energizer Battery, Frito-Lay and KPMG-Peat Marwick.
The addition of Negron-Carballo is one of several moves made recently by Celsius in preparation for future growth and expansion, the company said. Within the past six months, the organization has expanded staffing in both the finance and production departments, creating new positions such as vice president operations and global product coordinator and ramping up additional staff positions in logistics and administration.
8. Borden
Dairy processor and distributor Borden has named several new executives to its team.
Craig Musgrove has been appointed to the new position of chief sales officer. Musgrove marks the seventh senior leader Borden CEO Tony Sarsam has hired since he joined the company in March.
Musgrove joins Borden from PepsiCo, where he most recently was senior vice president of sales for Frito-Lay. There, he was responsible for Frito-Lay’s business with Walmart, supermarkets, e-commerce, club and natural customers.
Meanwhile, Barry Card has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president of Go-to-Market. Most recently, Card was global director of go-to-market systems capability for PepsiCo. Card also spent 27 years in a variety of roles at Frito-Lay. At Borden, Card will be responsible for developing and implementing a go-to-market strategy, including route design, with a focus on customer service.
And Patrick George was appointed to the newly created position of vice president of engineering. George comes to Borden from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, where he served as the director of engineering for 12 years.
Photo courtesy of Borden Dairy.