Ramon Laguarta: The Visionary Leader Steering PepsiCo’s Future

Ramon Laguarta is a Spanish businessman who is the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo. When Indra Nooyi stepped down in October 2018, he was appointed the sixth CEO of the company. He is also the first Spanish CEO of one of America's largest multinational companies. 

Being a 25-year PepsiCo veteran and the Chairman of the Board since 2019. As the Chairman and CEO, he pivoted the company’s growth by embracing their new corporate mission - to Create More Smiles with Every Sip and Every Bite and adopted a new vision that captures PepsiCo’s competitive spirit, intense focus, and shared values: to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive. 

Ramon Laguarta - Biography

Ramon Laguarta - Early Life and Education 
Ramon Laguarta - Personal Life 
Ramon Laguarta - Career Highlights
Ramon Laguarta - Achievements as CEO 
Ramon Laguarta - Leadership Style

Ramon Laguarta - Early Life and Education 

Born in 1963 in Barcelona, Spain, he graduated with a bachelor's and master’s degree in Business Administration from ESADE Business School in Barcelona in 1985. In 1986, he received his master’s in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. The blend of education in business and international management set the stage for future leadership roles across the entire global market. 

Ramon Laguarta - Personal Life 

Ramon is married to Maria Laguarta and has three children. He currently lives in the USA but is still a native of Barcelona, Spain. He speaks multiple languages, such as English, Spanish, German, French, and Greek. Ramon prefers to keep his personal life private, but family is an important part of his support system as he balances the demands of his high-profile role in PepsiCo. He lives his life to serve people, both in his personal and professional life. 

Ramon Laguarta - Career Highlights

Ramon started his career working for Chupa Chups, the candy company based out of Spain popular for its lollipops. He shifted to PepsiCo in January of 1996 and worked in the company’s European business sector. While working in the European branch, Ramon led the acquisition in 2010 of Wimm-Bill-Dann, the Russian dairy and juice company. This was the second largest acquisition, valued at $5.4 billion, after the purchase of Quaker Oats in 2001. 

In 2014, he became the CEO of the entire European and Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) sector. It was in September of 2017 that he was named the President of PepsiCo. He was responsible for PepsiCo’s Global Category Groups, its Global Operations, Corporate Strategy, and Public Policy & Government Affairs functions. This promotion led him to shift to the United States.

When Indra Nooyi stepped down as CEO of PepsiCo in 2018, Ramon was unanimously voted as the next CEO. He officially took over his role in October 2018. Later, in February 2019, he became the Chairman of the Board of Directors. 

Laguarta has been working under the PepsiCo banner for over 20 years, and his roles have included CEO of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, President of PepsiCo for the Eastern Europe region, Commercial Vice President for PepsiCo Europe, General Manager for Iberia Snacks and Juices, and lastly General Manager for Greece Snacks. 

After becoming the CEO of PepsiCo, Ramon set three major priorities for the brand: 

• Accelerating the company’s organic revenue growth, 
• Becoming a stronger company, 
• Becoming a better company. 

Wanting to make PepsiCo a better company, Ramon has implemented a new sustainability agenda - building a more sustainable food system. Under his leadership, the company is now focusing more efforts on its goals around climate change, agriculture, water usage, use of plastics, and human rights. One such effort is to reduce the brand’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in their entire value chain by 30-35 million metric tonnes of GHG. The aim is to make their packaging recyclable or biodegradable and use 25% recycled plastic content in all their packaging by 2025. Ramon also acquired SodaStream, which will reduce the waste of 67 billion plastic bottles through 2025. 

To achieve these aims, Ramon positioned the company to become Faster, Stronger, and Better: being more consumer-centric and investing to accelerate the top line growth and winning in the marketplace; stronger by transforming its capabilities and cultures by focusing more on digitalizing the company to embrace the new ways of working and developing talent; and better by continuing to integrate the purpose into the business strategy and branding while advancing the social equity in the company and communities. 

In 2023, Ramon’s total compensation was around $26.2 million, which is 8% more than the previous year. In addition to being a member of PepsiCo's Board of Directors, he is also a director of Visa Inc. and the Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Board of Stewards for the Food Systems Initiatives. 

A Deep Analysis into the Iconic Brand’s Success | Company Profile | Owner | Founder | Origin Country

PepsiCo started with Caleb Bradham, a North Carolina industrialist, who developed the first Pepsi recipe. Know more about its business model, success story, founder, origin country, revenue, owners, and more.

StartupTalkyShevaughn Pimenta

Ramon Laguarta - Achievements as CEO 

As the CEO of PepsiCo, Ramon has led the brand through multiple transformations. One of his biggest achievements is steering the company towards a more sustainable future through its ‘pep+’ transformation strategy. The initiative focuses on making PepsiCo more sustainable from procurement of raw materials until distribution. He is also focused on addressing consumer preference and is diversifying the brand’s product range to include healthier snacks and beverages. In 2024, PepsiCo acquired Siete Foods, a company specializing in grain-free tortillas and snacks. This helped solidify PepsiCo’s stand in creating a healthier product line. 

Ramon also navigated the challenge of rising prices and shifts in consumer spending habits. His ability to adapt to the market trend and prioritize sustainability helped PepsiCo maintain its leading position in the food and beverage industry. Thanks to his achievements, he is now considered to be one of the most influential leaders in the business frontier. 

List of All the Brands Owned by PepsiCo | PepsiCo Subsidiaries

PepsiCo Inc. is a successful American multinational food and beverage company. Here’s a detailed look at all the brands owned by Pepsico.

StartupTalkyPV Vyshnavi

Ramon Laguarta - Leadership Style

Ramon’s leadership is mainly characterized by simplicity, accountability, and execution excellence. He believes a company’s actions should be aligned with its core values and sustainability goals. Under his leadership, PepsiCo remains at the forefront of addressing global consumer needs. Under his guidance, PepsiCo has integrated sustainability into its business model, reduced environmental impact, and improved the health profile of its product portfolio. 

One of the defining aspects of his leadership is his emphasis on creating a culture of opportunity and innovation. He has always supported PepsiCo’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, which fosters innovation and creativity, which are essential for long-term success. 

FAQs

Who is Ramon Laguarta?

Ramon Laguarta is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo.  

When did Ramon Laguarta become CEO of PepsiCo?

Ramon Laguarta became CEO of PepsiCo in October 2018, succeeding Indra Nooyi.

What is Ramon Laguarta's leadership style?

Laguarta is known for his collaborative and inclusive leadership style. He emphasizes empowering employees and fostering a culture of innovation and growth.