PepsiCo India appoints new CEOs for its Beverages and Foods businesses

PepsiCo has announced two new appointments to its  India region leadership team.

Praveen Someshwar, currently chief executive officer, India Beverages, moves in as chief executive officer, India Foods.

Gautham Mukkavilli, currently based in Dubai as senior vice president, Global Nutrition Group (GNG), PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) returns to India as chief executive officer, India Beverages.

Both Someshwar and Mukkavilli will be based out of PepsiCo India’s Gurgaon headquarters and report directly to Manu Anand, Chairman of PepsiCo India Region.

Commenting upon the announcements, Manu Anand, chairman, PepsiCo India Region, said, " These appointments provide important new leadership experiences for two of our most valued senior executives and reflect our strong commitment to developing talent from within PepsiCo. All changes will be effective 1 June 2012. We are announcing them today in order to allow ample time for transition, while ensuring that we remain 100% focused on achieving our 2012 business plans.”

In his new role, Someshwar will be responsible for leading PepsiCo India’s range of famous food brands, including Kurkure, Lay’s, Uncle Chipps and Quaker along with the traditional snacks business under brand Lehar. He will also lead the India Power of One (PO1) Council with responsibility to drive collaboration across the food and beverage businesses.

“Praveen’s move to India Foods -- the largest foods business in PepsiCo’s AMEA Sector-- after his very successful Beverage stint, will enable him to gain experience in a large operating Foods business as he continues in his career journey with PepsiCo,” Anand added.

Mukkavilli will now lead the charge to continue the growth of PepsiCo India’s beverage brands including Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda, Slice, Aquafina and Gatorade, to name a few.

Anand said, “Gautham is well suited for his new role given that his rich and diverse career at PepsiCo began in the India Beverage business 20 years ago. His range of experiences over that time have included important roles in Foods, Beverages and Power of One units, in Franchise and Operating businesses, based in India, Vietnam, Thailand and the U.S.”

Someshwar is a Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant, who joined PepsiCo from ICI India in 1994. Mukkavilli has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and joined PepsiCo from Brooke Bond India in 1991.