PepsiCo has hired the director general of the World Trade Organization Roberto Azevêdo, in moves that signal a strengthening of engagement and sustainability efforts.
In addition to appointing Roberto Azevêdo, the company announced a new Chief Sustainability Officer, Jim Andrew, to lead the company’s search for ways to deliver drinks free from single-use plastic.
PepsiCo, which makes Doritos crisps and Tropicana juice as well as Pepsi, aims to reduce new plastic content by 35 per cent by 2025. Other targets include hiring 250 black employees into management.
Roberto Azevêdo is reported to have told the Financial Times, “The company is committed to impactful changes and I’m really convinced I can help accelerate those changes.”
He has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, starting on September 1, 2020. His role brings PepsiCo’s Public Policy, Government Affairs, and Communications activities under one umbrella.
“We continue to raise our ambitions to become planet positive”
PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta said, “Roberto, brings valuable political skills and technical knowledge of the complex social, political, and regulatory environments impacting multinational corporations like PepsiCo.
“He is widely recognised by world players in both developed and developing economies. His geopolitical insights will be invaluable to our discussions and decision-making in an ever-changing world, and we are proud to have him lead our engagement with key global stakeholders.”
Azevêdo currently serves as the sixth Director-General of the WTO, a position he has held since September 2013. In 2008, he was appointed Brazil’s Ambassador to the WTO. From 2006 to 2008, Azevêdo was Vice-Minister for Economic and Technological Affairs at the Foreign Ministry in Brasilia.
From 2001 to 2005, he was head of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry’s Dispute Settlement Unit and Brazil’s chief litigator in WTO disputes. Azevêdo, who is also an electrical engineer, began his career as a diplomat in Washington, DC.
He said, “I am delighted to join PepsiCo at a time when strengthening relationships between business, government and society has become essential to generating sustainable and inclusive long-term growth.”
Jim Andrew as Chief Sustainability Officer, in addition to his role as Executive Vice President, Beyond the Bottle, replaces Simon Lowden, who is retiring.
Ramon Laguarta said, “With [Jim] at the helm, we will continue to raise our ambitions to become planet positive, taking bold steps to catalyze positive change and build a stronger, more sustainable future for us all.”
