Sudan-born executive appointed as new president of PepsiCo
September 26, 2012 (WASHINGTON) – PepsiCo Inc., the world’s second largest food and beverage corporation, announced this month that it has appointed a new president to lead its worldwide operations to replace the 28-year company veteran John Compton who abruptly resigned to become the chief executive of truck stop operator Pilot Flying J Oil Corp.
The Sudan-born 53-years old executive who joined the company in 1995 was credited with doubling revenue of PepsiCo’s Europe division to $14 billion and overseeing the successful acquisition of a top Russian dairy company.
“Zein has demonstrated outstanding business and operational results as the leader of our European sector. During his tenure the division grew revenues from $7 billion to $14 billion; he led the transformation of the European portfolio, shifting it towards the higher-growth markets in the region; and along the way he also helped PepsiCo become the largest food and beverage company in Russia” said PepsiCo’s CEO & Chairman Indra Nooyi in a statement.
“We have drawn from our strong and seasoned cadre of business leaders in appointing Zein Abdalla as president,” Nooyi added. “Zein’s strategic vision, global experience and focus on execution will serve him very well in this new assignment”.
Prior to joining PepsiCo, Abdalla worked for 15 years at Mars Inc. in engineering and manufacturing roles, as well as in sales, marketing, human resources and general management.
The incoming PepsiCo president holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London University.
(ST)