Ramon Laguarta

Ramon Laguarta
Ramon Laguarta
Born	Template:Birth year and age
Birthplace	Barcelona, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Occupation	Business executive
Title	Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
Known for	Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
Education	ESADE (BBA, MBA) Thunderbird School of Global Management (MS)

Ramon L. Laguarta (born 1963) is a Spanish business executive who serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies. Born in Barcelona, Spain, Laguarta rose through the ranks of PepsiCo over more than two decades, holding leadership positions across multiple continents before being named the company's sixth CEO on 3 October 2018, succeeding Indra Nooyi. He became the first Spanish-born executive to lead a major American multinational corporation. Under his leadership, PepsiCo has pursued a strategy emphasizing speed, efficiency, and sustainability across its global portfolio of brands. In February 2026, Laguarta was elected to the board of directors of IBM, further extending his influence in the American corporate landscape.

Early Life

Ramon Laguarta was born in 1963 in Barcelona, Spain. He grew up in the Catalonia region during a period of significant political and economic transformation in Spain, as the country transitioned from the Franco era toward democracy and modernization. Details about his family background and childhood remain largely private.

Laguarta's upbringing in Barcelona, a cosmopolitan Mediterranean city with strong commercial traditions, provided an early exposure to international business culture. Spain's entry into the European Economic Community in 1986, during Laguarta's formative years, coincided with a period of rapid economic liberalization and globalization that shaped the professional outlook of his generation.

From an early stage of his career, Laguarta demonstrated a facility with languages and cross-cultural communication that would later prove instrumental in his rise through PepsiCo's international operations. He is reported to speak multiple languages, a skill that aided his management of business operations across diverse geographic markets throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Education

Laguarta received his undergraduate and graduate business education at ESADE (Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas), a business school based in Barcelona that is part of Ramon Llull University. He earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the institution.

He subsequently pursued further graduate study in the United States, earning a Master of Science degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, which is part of Arizona State University. Thunderbird is known for its focus on international management and global business, and its alumni network spans executives and leaders in multinational corporations worldwide. The school highlighted Laguarta's appointment as PepsiCo CEO as a notable achievement for its alumni community.

Laguarta's dual educational background—grounded in a European business school tradition at ESADE and complemented by an American institution specializing in global management—equipped him with a cross-cultural perspective that became a defining characteristic of his professional career.

Career

Early Career and Rise at PepsiCo

Before joining PepsiCo, Laguarta worked at Chupa Chups, the Spanish confectionery company known for its lollipops, where he gained early experience in the consumer goods industry. This initial role provided grounding in brand management and international consumer markets.

Laguarta joined PepsiCo in 1996 and spent more than two decades with the company before ascending to its top position. His career at PepsiCo was characterized by a series of progressively senior international assignments that took him across multiple regions. He held commercial and general management roles in various European and Middle Eastern markets, building a reputation as an operator who could drive growth in diverse and sometimes challenging business environments.

Among his early significant roles, Laguarta served as general manager for PepsiCo's operations in Spain, and later in Greece. He also took on leadership responsibilities covering the company's business in the Iberian Peninsula and across Eastern Europe. These roles gave him exposure to both developed and emerging markets and to the operational complexities of managing a portfolio of food and beverage brands across different regulatory, cultural, and economic contexts.

Leadership of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa

Laguarta's international trajectory continued with his appointment as CEO of PepsiCo's Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) division, one of the company's major operating segments. In this role, he oversaw a broad portfolio that included both the beverages business (Pepsi, 7UP, Tropicana, and others) and the foods business (including Lay's, Doritos, and Quaker brands) across dozens of countries spanning Western and Eastern Europe as well as Sub-Saharan African markets.

During his tenure leading the ESSA division, Laguarta was credited with improving the performance of PepsiCo's European operations, which had faced competitive pressure from both global rivals and regional players. He focused on tailoring product portfolios and marketing strategies to local consumer preferences while leveraging PepsiCo's global scale in supply chain and innovation. His work in this role attracted the attention of PepsiCo's board of directors and positioned him as a leading candidate for the company's top job.

President of PepsiCo

In September 2017, Laguarta was promoted to president of PepsiCo, a role that expanded his responsibilities beyond international operations to encompass global functions and all business units. The appointment was widely interpreted by industry analysts as a signal that he was being groomed as the likely successor to Indra Nooyi, who had served as CEO since 2006.

As president, Laguarta worked closely with Nooyi on the company's strategic direction, including its ongoing shift toward healthier products and its investments in e-commerce and digital capabilities. The Drum described him as "the marketer-turned-Pepsi CEO," reflecting his background in brand management and commercial operations across international markets.

CEO of PepsiCo

On 6 August 2018, PepsiCo announced that Laguarta would succeed Indra Nooyi as CEO, effective 3 October 2018. Nooyi remained as chairman of the board through early 2019 to ensure a smooth transition before Laguarta assumed the chairmanship as well. Laguarta became PepsiCo's sixth CEO in its history and the first person of Spanish origin to lead a major American multinational corporation of PepsiCo's scale.

Upon taking office, Laguarta articulated a strategic vision organized around the theme of making PepsiCo "Faster, Stronger, and Better." "Faster" referred to accelerating growth by being more consumer-centric, investing in capabilities, and acting with greater speed and precision in the marketplace. "Stronger" focused on building capabilities in areas such as manufacturing, go-to-market systems, and talent development. "Better" encompassed the company's environmental and social sustainability commitments, including goals related to packaging, water stewardship, and climate change.

Under Laguarta's leadership, PepsiCo continued its strategic emphasis on diversifying beyond traditional carbonated soft drinks. The company invested in expanding its portfolio of healthier and more nutritious options while maintaining the strength of its core brands. The snacks and foods business, anchored by the Frito-Lay division, remained a consistent growth driver and competitive advantage relative to the company's beverage-focused rivals.

Sustainability and Corporate Strategy

Laguarta has placed corporate sustainability as a central element of PepsiCo's long-term strategy. Under his leadership, the company established or expanded commitments in several areas, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving packaging recyclability, and promoting regenerative agricultural practices.

PepsiCo set targets to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain and committed to making its packaging more sustainable, including a goal to reduce virgin plastic use and increase recycled content in its packaging. The company also engaged in initiatives related to positive water impact in high-risk watersheds and sustainable sourcing of agricultural commodities.

In January 2026, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Laguarta addressed the ongoing debate over corporate sustainability, stating that the discussion needs a "reframe." He argued that corporate strategy should not pit sustainability against profitability but should instead view sustainability through the lens of short-term versus long-term risk management. This framing positioned sustainability as integral to long-term shareholder value rather than as a discretionary initiative.

In February 2026, PepsiCo presented at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) Conference, where the company outlined its strategic priorities for continued growth and sustainability integration.

Also in early 2026, Laguarta announced that PepsiCo would remove artificial colors from all of its brands, a significant reformulation effort spanning the company's extensive product portfolio. He also introduced an "enhanced Gatorade" product designed to offer quicker hydration benefits.

Board Memberships

Beyond his role at PepsiCo, Laguarta has served on the boards of several major corporations. He has been a member of the board of directors of Visa Inc..

On 27 February 2026, IBM announced that it had elected Laguarta to its board of directors, effective 1 March 2026. IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna stated that Laguarta would bring valuable experience in technology-driven transformation to IBM's board, drawing on his record of leveraging technology and data analytics to drive growth at PepsiCo. The election to IBM's board expanded Laguarta's corporate governance portfolio outside the consumer goods sector and into the technology industry.

Personal Life

Laguarta maintains a relatively private personal life. He was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, and relocated to the United States in connection with his career at PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, New York. He holds Spanish nationality.

His appointment as PepsiCo CEO was noted in Spanish media as a point of national significance, with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo covering his rise to the top of one of America's most prominent corporations. The appointment was seen as emblematic of the increasing internationalization of leadership at major American companies and of the global talent pipeline that companies like PepsiCo draw upon.

Laguarta was reported to be 62 years old at the time of his election to IBM's board of directors in early 2026.

Recognition

Laguarta's appointment as CEO of PepsiCo in 2018 generated substantial media coverage and analysis from major financial and business publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and CNBC. Analysts and commentators highlighted his extensive international experience and his track record of growing PepsiCo's business across European and emerging markets as key qualifications for the role.

Laguarta has been included in executive compensation rankings that track the pay of chief executives at major American corporations. He appeared in the Equilar–The New York Times list of the 100 highest-paid CEOs.

His election to IBM's board in 2026 was covered by multiple financial news outlets, reflecting his standing as a prominent figure in American corporate leadership. The Thunderbird School of Global Management also recognized his achievement in being named PepsiCo CEO, highlighting him as a distinguished alumnus of the institution.

Legacy

As of 2026, Laguarta continues to serve as chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, and his legacy remains a developing story. His tenure has been defined by several notable characteristics that distinguish his leadership from that of his predecessors.

Laguarta is the first European-born and first Spanish CEO of PepsiCo, succeeding Indra Nooyi, who was the first woman and first person of Indian origin to lead the company. The succession underscored PepsiCo's pattern of selecting leaders with strong international backgrounds and diverse perspectives to run a company that operates in more than 200 countries and territories.

His strategic framework of "Faster, Stronger, Better" represented a continuation and evolution of the transformation that Nooyi had initiated, with an increased emphasis on operational speed and agility in response to rapidly changing consumer preferences and competitive dynamics in the food and beverage industry. Under Laguarta, PepsiCo has continued to invest in data analytics, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer channels as the company adapts to digital-era retailing.

The sustainability agenda that Laguarta has championed—including commitments on climate, packaging, and agriculture—reflects a broader trend among major consumer goods companies to integrate environmental considerations into corporate strategy. His public comments at the 2026 World Economic Forum regarding the need to reframe the sustainability debate as a matter of long-term risk management rather than an opposition between profitability and responsibility illustrate his approach to positioning PepsiCo within ongoing corporate governance and ESG discussions.

Laguarta's expanding role in American corporate governance, including his board seats at Visa and IBM, positions him as an influential figure beyond the food and beverage sector.