Hugh F. Johnston

Biography

Hugh Johnston is vice chairman and chief financial officer of PepsiCo, a global food and beverage company with net revenues of more than $63 billion in 2015 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.   Hugh assumed the role of chief financial officer in March 2010, and is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership for PepsiCo, including ensuring the company’s strategy creates shareholder value, communicating the company’s strategies and performance to investors, and implementing a capital structure, financial processes and controls to support the company's growth and return on investment goals. In December 2014, Hugh undertook the additional responsibilities of PepsiCo’s global e-commerce and Quaker Foods North America businesses. Additionally, in July 2015, Hugh’s roles were further expanded when he took responsibility for the company’s global business and information solutions function, which provides information technology systems and solutions across PepsiCo. In these roles, Hugh is focused on addressing global trends that are reshaping the food and beverage industry, including health and wellness, the rise of the digitally connected consumer and the emergence of e-commerce as a new distribution channel. Hugh joined PepsiCo in 1987, and has served in a variety of positions, including executive vice president, Global Operations, PepsiCo; president, Pepsi-Cola North America; senior vice president, Transformation, PepsiCo; senior vice president and chief financial officer, PepsiCo Beverages and Foods; and senior vice president, Mergers and Acquisitions, PepsiCo.  Hugh is active with a number of corporate, NGO and academic organizations, and was most recently appointed as a member of the board and audit committee of Twitter, Inc.  Other organizations in which Hugh serves include: a Director for the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the leading global economic think tank ; the University of Chicago’s Booth School CFO Advisory Board; Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management Advisory council.  Additionally, he is a member of the CNBC Global CFO Council and The Wall Street Journal CFO Network.  Previously, he served as a Director of AOL, Inc., where he chaired the audit and finance committee.  Hugh holds a B.S. from Syracuse University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Hugh is based in Purchase, N.Y.

Research Interest

food process