PepsiCo Taps Mark Kirkham as CMO of Beverages Following Greg Lyons’ Departure
PepsiCo has appointed Mark Kirkham as its new Chief Marketing Officer of Beverages for North America, succeeding Greg Lyons, who is stepping down after a 24-year tenure at the company.
Kirkham brings over 17 years of experience at PepsiCo and most recently led the international beverages portfolio as SVP and CMO of International Beverages. He now takes on responsibility for marketing leadership across PepsiCo’s North American beverage brands, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Aquafina, and others.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for PepsiCo’s beverage division as it faces increasing competition in both traditional soft drinks and expanding functional categories. Under Kirkham’s global leadership, PepsiCo launched several notable initiatives, including the international rollout of the Nitro Pepsi brand and the reboot of 7Up with a modernized positioning. He also played a significant role in PepsiCo’s efforts to localize marketing campaigns and drive digital engagement through global platforms like UEFA and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Outgoing CMO Greg Lyons held the role since 2017 and is credited with key growth strategies in PepsiCo’s beverage portfolio, particularly in digital transformation and purpose-driven marketing. During his tenure, PepsiCo increased its investment in owned and earned content, leaned into cultural marketing, and introduced bold moves like the rebrand of Pepsi Zero Sugar and the continued evolution of the Pepsi and Mountain Dew brands.
Lyons also helped turbocharge PepsiCo’s digital innovation during key cultural moments, including marketing tie-ins with the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which saw major success under Pepsi’s sponsorship.
Kirkham’s promotion signals PepsiCo’s continued priority on integrating global insights with regional relevance, a necessary balancing act as soft drink consumption patterns evolve and health-conscious, digitally connected consumers drive purchasing trends.
As PepsiCo deepens its focus on omnichannel strategies and brand storytelling to capture share in both core and emerging segments, Kirkham’s global perspective is expected to play a central role in elevating the North American beverage marketing roadmap.
The leadership change is effective immediately. Lyons will remain with the company during the transition.