Ramon Luis Laguarta
Summary
Ramon Luis Laguarta has led PepsiCo as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2019, after becoming CEO in October 2018, and joined the company in 1996. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/leadership/ramon-laguarta?utm_source=openai))
Biography
Laguarta is a Spanish food and beverage executive who became PepsiCo's sixth CEO in 2018 and chairman in 2019. Before becoming CEO, he served as PepsiCo's president, overseeing global operations, corporate strategy, public policy, government affairs and the PepsiCo Foundation. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/leadership/ramon-laguarta?utm_source=openai)) Earlier in his PepsiCo career, Laguarta led the Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa sector from 2015 to 2017 and held several European leadership roles, including responsibility for integrating PepsiCo's dairy business in Russia. Before joining PepsiCo, he worked in international management roles at Spanish confectionery company Chupa Chups. He holds an MBA from ESADE Business School and a master's degree in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/leadership/ramon-laguarta?utm_source=openai))
Notable achievements
- Moved through a series of international and corporate leadership roles before succeeding Indra Nooyi as CEO. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018/ramon-laguarta-elected-chief-executive-officer-of-pepsico?utm_source=openai))
- Made PepsiCo Positive, or pep+, a company-wide strategy linking portfolio changes, operations and sustainability. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/leadership/ramon-laguarta?utm_source=openai))
- Focused the growth plan on portfolio transformation, international expansion and new consumption occasions. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/leadership/ramon-laguarta?utm_source=openai))
- Oversaw efforts to expand products with less sugar, less sodium and fewer artificial colors and flavors. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/leadership/ramon-laguarta?utm_source=openai))
- Maintained a stated capital allocation focus on business investment, debt repayment and shareholder distributions. ([pepsico.com](https://www.pepsico.com/docs/default-source/investors/pep-transcript-2025-05-07.pdf?sfvrsn=46ebcd0_2&utm_source=openai))
Problem areas / controversies
- PepsiCo faced slowing North American demand for snacks and soda after several years of price increases, leading to pressure for more promotions and lower prices. ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/pepsico-forecasts-annual-profit-below-estimates-on-weak-soda-snacks-demand-3847253?utm_source=openai))
- Activist investor Elliott Management pushed PepsiCo to cut costs, simplify its portfolio and improve beverage performance, highlighting investor concerns about the company's growth and valuation. ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/some-pepsico-investors-cautious-of-elliotts-plan-to-spin-out-bottling-4250786?utm_source=openai))
- An FDA warning letter cited insanitary conditions at PepsiCo's Danville, Pennsylvania facility, which the company said it intended to close. ([fda.gov](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/pepsico-inc-679972-06122024?utm_source=openai))
- PepsiCo has faced legal and public criticism related to plastic pollution and alleged environmental effects of its packaging. ([ur.ag.ny.gov](https://ur.ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/pepsico-complaint_0.pdf?utm_source=openai))