Laxman Narasimhan

Laxman Narasimhan
Chief Executive Officer, Latin America
Laxman Narasimhan is the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Latin America. PepsiCo is
a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $63 billion and a product
portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated
annual retail sales. PepsiCo’s main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay
and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved
throughout the world.
Laxman assumed the position in September 2014. He leads PepsiCo’s food and beverage
business across Latin America and reports to PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi.
The business covers PepsiCo’s food and beverage businesses in Mexico, Brazil, Central
America, South America and the Caribbean. He previously served as the senior vice
president and CFO of PepsiCo Americas Foods based in Purchase, New York, which
covered Frito-Lay North America, Quaker North America and PepsiCo’s Latin America
Foods.
Prior to PepsiCo, Laxman was a director and location manager of McKinsey’s New Delhi
Office. He worked with McKinsey for 19 years around the world, including rotations in
Cleveland, Tokyo, Toronto, San Francisco and New Delhi. He had responsibility for
consumer-facing industries in India, co-led the Global Consumer and Shopper Insights
Practice and led McKinsey’s research on the emerging market consumer. He has worked
across multiple industries, including consumer, retail, energy, manufacturing, technology
and healthcare. Previously, Laxman co-led the Global Retail Knowledge Council of
McKinsey’s Retail Practice. In addition to client service and research, Laxman has led
assignments in the public sector, working on important policy issues, particularly in education
and skill building.
Laxman is a Trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Council on Foreign
Relations,a fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, and is an Advisory Board member of the
Jay H. Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Laxman holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering,
University of Pune, India. He has an MA in German and International Studies from The
Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, where he won financial support from the
Marcus Wallenberg Foundation from Sweden and the J.N.Tata Endowment in India. He has
an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, where he
was designated a Palmer Scholar.
He and his wife Vidhya have two children and are based in the New York area.