PepsiCo steps up European drive

PepsiCo International is stepping up its European marketing operations with an internal staff reshuffle and new recruits.

PepsiCo Europe has recruited Mhairi McEwan, former European marketing manager at Lever’s Machine Dishwash business, as vice president marketing, Europe. McEwan, who is on maternity leave, will join in June, reporting to Pepsi Europe chief executive officer Wayne Mailloux.

PepsiCo describes McEwan’s appointment as a replacement for Paul Steele who left Pepsi this month to join the Hilton International hotel group. However, as group vice president for northern Europe, Steele was responsible for sales and marketing but was mostly involved in sales.

PepsiCo is understood to be working under a new structure where marketing is handled separately from sales. McEwan’s role is understood to be entirely focused on marketing. A new vice president for sales has yet to be appointed.

Two new positions have been created in the marketing team. Eugenio Morselli joins from PepsiCola International, Portugal, as director of new concepts and innovation. In mid-May, Louise Taylor joins from Millward Brown as director of market research.

Both will report to McEwan, as will European marketing director Charlotte Pinder. Yann Tardiff, who joined as marketing director for western Europe in March (MW March 10) will report to Pinder.

But McEwan and Tardiff’s job remits appear identical to Pinder’s. A Pepsi spokesman says it is “not uncommon to have more than one person in the same job” within PepsiCo.