Pepsi in Euro shake-up

PepsiCo International is executing a top-level shake-up of its European executives as the company prepares to split its European drinks operation in two.

PepsiCo chief operating officer for Latin America & Europe Luis Suarez has split the European operation into eastern and western regions, which will report to him.

Wayne Mailloux, previously president and chief executive officer for the whole of Europe, is to head the new Western European Beverage Group. He remains in PepsiCo’s Richmond office, and will oversee the company’s west European drive and its customer and bottling networks.

The Eastern Beverage Group will be headed by David Jones, who has been with the company for 14 years and, from the Vienna office, drove Pepsi into Russia. PepsiCo refused to comment on the moves, but, in an internal memo, Suarez told staff the move would reduce management layers, and improve relationships with bottlers and customers.

Both moves are described by the company as promotions, and Suarez tells staff the reshuffle will “allow our operating executives a greater degree of autonomy”.

There will be further restructuring in the UK. Senior vice president for Europe Steve Law rence is leaving to become president and chief executive officer of Pepsi’s Mexican bottling plant Gemex. Lawrence previously reported to Mailloux.

Mexico is PepsiCo’s largest market outside the US, but the operation is suffering because of the weakness of the Mexican economy. Lawrence, who was unavailable for comment, will join the Mexican office next month.

In an unrelated move, Charlotte Pinder, general manager at PepsiCo International, Ireland, will be succeeded by operations director Steve Gray when she joins BT as head of marketing communications in December.