PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo announced Wednesday that Ram Krishnan, currently chief executive officer, Greater China for PepsiCo, has been appointed to the role of PepsiCo’s global chief commercial officer. Krishnan will continue to lead PepsiCo’s Greater China sector at this point. He replaces Laxman Narasimhan who is departing the company to become CEO of the Reckitt Benckiser Group.

Krishnan is a highly experienced and successful PepsiCo executive who has brought a strategic mindset and outstanding judgment to each of his roles since joining the company in 2006. He held successive roles at Frito-Lay, ultimately becoming the business’s chief marketing officer in 2014. In 2016, Krishnan was promoted to the role of North American commercial general manager and senior vice president, Walmart Customer Team, where his strategic thinking and deep consumer understanding helped cement a strong relationship with one of the company’s most important customers. He was appointed to lead PepsiCo’s China business in 2017. In China, Krishnan has displayed an ability to quickly adapt to new cultures, developing locally-tailored supply chains and go-to-market capabilities.

Commenting on the appointment, PepsiCo chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said, “Ram is a proven leader with deep consumer and customer understanding who also knows how to harness data to drive business growth. Equally important, he embodies how we do business—The PepsiCo Way— embracing consumer centricity, acting as an owner and celebrating success across each position that he’s held. Ram understands the importance of competing locally, which has driven his ability to win in both Eastern and Western markets. He is just the kind of competitive, strategic leader we need as PepsiCo continues on our journey to accelerate growth.”

Laguarta continued: “Ram’s appointment comes as Laxman, a highly respected leader, begins a new, exciting chapter in his career. We have benefited from Laxman’s strategic vision over the past seven years and are grateful for his many contributions to PepsiCo’s success.”