Todd Kaplan is stepping down from his post as chief marketing officer at Pepsi, after spending 17 years at the company.
“Life is a story filled with chapters – as one comes to an end, a new one begins…,” he shared in a LinkedIn post. “I recently made the decision to leave PepsiCo to pursue an opportunity outside of the company.”
Kaplan joined PepsiCo as an MBA intern in 2006 and has worked across the brand including roles in sports marketing, global innovation and insights and running the flagship business, as well as the water business. Most recently, he was responsible for PepsiCo’s $11.5BN US Cola, Root Beer, and Sparkling Water brands including Pepsi, Bubly Sparkling Water, and MUG as CMO.
In this job, he led development and execution of all creative and brand communications, brand strategy, innovation, and annual operating plan and was tasked with re-imagining Pepsi for future, including development of a new global visual identity and logo for the brand, accelerating growth of Pepsi Zero Sugar, expanding the Bubly Sparkling Water portfolio into new categories and spaces, and creating new content models while building team DTC capability, according to his LinkedIn page.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing teams, to create and launch new brands, to reimagine and build upon the legacy of some of our most iconic brands, to generate some of the biggest cultural moments, to push the boundaries of creativity and our industry forward, and to learn and laugh a ton along the way,” he continued in his post.
“As I turn the page to begin my next chapter, I have never felt more energized – I’m excited to tackle new challenges, explore new possibilities, learn a completely new business, and apply my talents in entirely different ways.”
