PepsiCo announced today that Derek Yach, former Representative of the Director General at the World Health Organization, has been appointed the company's Director -- Global Health Policy, a new position to direct the company's global health and wellness policy.
He will report to Antonio Lucio, the company's chief Innovation and Health & Wellness officer.
"This move is in keeping with our commitment to develop the world's most balanced portfolio of convenient food and beverage choices, and to ensure we're meeting consumer needs for health and wellness," said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo president and CEO.
"With health and wellness as our primary growth opportunity, we are investing in senior talent who will actively engage external partnerships and government and non-government organizations to arrive at policies that positively impact our strategy."
Yach, 51, is an internationally recognized public health policy leader and will be responsible for setting the company's global health and wellness policy.
He will work with non-government organizations (NGOs) and inter-governmental organizations to establish productive relationships such as PepsiCo's 2006 partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to create a school policy offering healthier choices of beverages and foods/snacks in schools.
"We're fortunate to have a leader of Derek's caliber and talent join PepsiCo.
Derek has an undisputed track record in driving global health policies that support good nutrition and physical activity -- two complementary strategies to combat obesity and other health issues across the globe," said Nooyi.
"I'm confident that his expertise in the global public health policy arena will strengthen and accelerate our health and wellness agenda."
Over the last 10 years, Yach has held key leadership positions related to global health and the advancement of health, wellness and chronic disease research, prevention and control.
These include positions at the World Health Organization (WHO), Yale University and the Rockefeller Foundation.
While serving at the WHO, Derek held the positions of Representative of the Director General and the Executive Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. At Yale University, he was a professor of Public Health and division head of Global Health.
Most recently, Derek served as Director, Global Health at the Rockefeller Foundation.
PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies with annual revenues of more than $35 billion.
Its principal businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods.
Its portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales.
SOURCE: PepsiCo
CONTACT: Lynn Markley, Vice President - Health & Wellness,Public Relations & Community Affairs, of PepsiCo, 1-914-253-3059
February 9, 2007
