PepsiCo names new CMO for North American Beverages

Greg Lyons, who served as chief marketing officer for PepsiCo North American Beverages for more than eight years, is departing the company and will be replaced by Mark Kirkham, PepsiCo stated today. The change is effective April 7. Lyons is pursuing an opportunity outside of the company, a PepsiCo spokesperson said. Ad Age A-List and Creativity Gala Buy your ticket to the in-person event Click here Kirkham is a 15-year Pepsi veteran who has been serving as senior VP of marketing, Pepsi and sparkling brands since August, leading marketing of the company’s U.S. carbonated beverage portfolio. Kirkham previously served as PepsiCo’s international beverages CMO. While it fights to make its brands more competitive, PepsiCo Beverages has seen significant marketing turnover. Last June, Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer for brand Pepsi, left to take the North America CMO role at Kraft Heinz; that move preceded Kirkham’s U.S. arrival. Lyons’ departure also follows news that Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo’s chief design officer, would be leaving the company. Additional executive changes, including plans to succeed Kirkham, will be announced at a later date, a spokesperson said. PepsiCo’s carbonated beverage volume in the U.S. fell by 2.9% last year, according to Beverage Digest. Among its biggest brands, regular Pepsi-Cola experienced a 6.1% U.S. volume decline, Mountain Dew slid by 7.4%, Diet Pepsi was down 5.9% and Diet Mountain Dew slipped by 5.1%. Pepsi also experienced a challenging second year for Starry, which saw volume decline by 14%, according to Beverage Digest. However, the Pepsi brand got some good news recently as it gained share while rival Coca-Cola lost share in the four-week period ended March 9, according to Consumer Edge Research, citing Circana figures. Earlier this month, Pepsi announced plans to acquire the fast-growing prebiotic soda brand Poppi. Kirkham joined PepsiCo as a marketing director and has worked in multiple roles in the U.S. and Europe. As PepsiCo’s international CMO he was based in Dublin, where he oversaw a portfolio that also included soft drinks, sports drinks, juices and waters. His former positions also include VP and general manager of PepsiCo’s global sports, energy and juice portfolio; head of marketing and innovation, Western Europe; and senior marketing director of global Pepsi and global Mountain Dew. Prior to Pepsi, Kirkham was a Duracell brand manager with Procter & Gamble, and had roles with AC Nielsen, Forrester Research and Ovum, according to his LinkedIn bio.

PepsiCo names new CMO for North American Beverages

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