With products ranging from Quaker Oats to Gatorade, PepsiCo is the driving force behind some of the most popular food and drink brands among college students today.
The story behind the creation and development of many of these brands was revealed to a group of Penn students yesterday in a presentation by the PepsiCo Beverages and Food North America Chairman and CEO, Gary Rodkin.
Rodkin has served in his current capacity since the inception of the North American PBF division in June 2002, before which he worked at Tropicana and General Mills. The division has been extremely successful under his leadership, and has grown into a $10 billion-per-year business.
However, despite his successful tenure at PepsiCo, Rodkin recently resigned from the company, though he will continue to hold his current position until June. He cited a desire to be in charge of his own company as the motivation behind his resignation.
"I don't want there to be anyone else to tell me that I can't do something the way I want to," he said.
Rodkin, however, focused yesterday's presentation on the leadership strategies that he employed during his tenure at PepsiCo. He cited several main operating principles as being essential to success, including accountability, clearly defined objectives and candor.
However, he stressed that the most important principle that he tried to adhere to in his leadership was simplicity. He explained that one of the most profound problems facing American businesses today is over-complexity in operations.
"Simplicity is the power to do more of what matters and less of what doesn't," Rodkin said.
Rodkin then went on to provide the audience with an insight to the marketing campaigns behind PepsiCo's most prominent brands today.
The audience was treated to video clips of several television advertisements currently on the air, including the Pepsi-iTunes music promotion. He stressed that successful advertising was essential to maintaining market share in the competitive soft-drink industry.
Students present were appreciative of Rodkin's candor and willingness to share his experience.
"I thought it was fantastic. He was very forthright and open about his experience," Engineering and Wharton freshman Han Hu said.
"The biggest take away for me was his advice about leadership," Engineering and Wharton Freshman Sri Harsha Jujjavarapu said.
"This kind of event should definitely happen more often," he said.
