PepsiCo Loses Digital Guru to Kraft

Bonin Bough, PepsiCo 's digital and social-media guru, is departing for Kraft Foods. According to executives familiar with the matter, Mr. Bough will take on a senior role managing consumer engagement at the food giant. With Kraft in the midst of splitting the company in two, it's not clear which company Mr. Bough will be working for. The split, expected to be finalized by the end of this year, will see one branch focused on the $31 billion global snacks business and the other encompassing the $17 billion grocery business. As part of the split, Kraft has said it will cut 1,600 jobs in the U.S. and Canada. The company confirmed earlier this month that Mark Stewart, VP-global media at Kraft Foods, would be leaving as part of the restructuring. Neither PepsiCo nor Kraft immediately responded to requests for comment. Mr. Bough, PepsiCo 's senior global director-digital and social media, joined the company in 2008 and has been at the center of its efforts to beef up its presence at events such as South by Southwest and BlogHer, as well as on platforms such as Fousquare and Twitter. Prior to joining PepsiCo , Mr. Bough was exec VP-director at Weber Shandwick's social, interactive and emerging media practice. He also served as exec VP-interactive at Ruder Finn. Most recently, he spearheaded PepsiCo 's efforts to become a more digitally fit organization. He oversaw the creation of a "digital fitness" boot camp, educating executives and getting their hands on the latest and greatest technology, from 3-D phones to Apple TV. "Society is becoming 100% digital and most organizations are not 100% digital," Mr. Bough told Ad Age in November. "There's a gap, and we have to work relentlessly to close that gap. We've looked for a way to describe it, and that 's fitness. You can't just work out once." In naming him to its 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2011, Fast Company gushed that Mr. Bough "is as much a celebrity as any of the headliners at the festivals he sponsors; crowds swarm him after his presentations, seeking a real-life moment with the man who is PepsiCo 's digital handshake across the globe."

PepsiCo Loses Digital Guru to Kraft

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