Keurig Dr Pepper changes its executive leadership team

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announces changes to its executive leadership team, in advance of the company’s previously announced CEO transition at the end of this month.

As announced on April 5, 2022, Ozan Dokmecioglu will transition from the position of CFO and president, International, to the position of CEO on July 29, at which time chair and CEO Bob Gamgort will transition to the role of executive chair.

Derek Hopkins, who currently serves as president, cold beverages, and has broad responsibility for KDP’s commercial functions, has decided to leave KDP at the end of 2022 to pursue family and personal interests he’s put on hold for some time.  Hopkins will continue to serve in an advisory role in 2023 to Gamgort and Dokmecioglu, with whom he has partnered for the past six years to transform Keurig Green Mountain (KGM), lead the successful integration of the KDP merger and drive outsized growth for KDP’s cold business.

The company has decided to separate Hopkins’ current role into two – president, commercial, and a more focused president, cold beverages. KDP has launched an external search for a new president, cold beverages, and expects to fill it before year-end.

Andrew Archambault, who currently serves as chief customer officer, has been promoted to president, commercial, effective August 1. He will be a member of the executive leadership team, reporting to Dokmecioglu. Archambault joined KDP in 2018 and has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the CPG industry. In his new position, Archambault will continue to lead sales planning and execution for national and regional accounts, with the additional responsibility for fountain foodservice and revenue growth management.

Mauricio Leyva, who joined KDP in 2020 and currently serves as president, coffee, will assume an expanded role as group president, effective August 1.  In this role, Leyva will continue to lead Coffee and add responsibility for the international businesses previously led by Dokmecioglu, as well as the continued evolution of the digitalization of KDP.

David Thomas, who has been with KDP and its predecessor companies since 2006 and currently serves as chief research and development officer, will be retiring from the company upon the naming of his successor. An external search is underway, and Thomas has agreed to remain with KDP to ensure a seamless transition.

At the time of the CEO transition announcement, the company communicated that it had launched an external search process for a CFO to replace Dokmecioglu. To ensure full coverage during the transition, effective July 29, George Lagoudakis, who currently serves as senior vice-president of finance for the Cold Beverages division and has more than 25 years of global financial management experience in the food industry, has been appointed to the interim role of KDP CFO, reporting to Dokmecioglu.

All other executive leadership team members will continue in their current roles.

Reflecting upon the evolution of his leadership team, Dokmecioglu said, “I want to thank Derek for his strong partnership and the significant value he helped to create at KGM and KDP.  I am grateful for his ongoing support as an advisor to the company.  I’d also like to thank David for his significant contributions to KDP and our predecessor companies over the past 16 years and his plan to remain with KDP to transition to his successor. I wish him all the best as he moves into retirement. Finally, I’d like to congratulate Mauricio on his expanded role and Andrew and George on their new roles.  I also want to express my gratitude to the entire KDP executive leadership team for their strong support.”

Gamgort added, “Ozan embarks as CEO of KDP with a talented team and thoughtful transition plan. I am pleased to have the continued support of Derek, who has been a great partner in the significant value creation we have driven at KDP.  I am also grateful to David for his strong leadership, expertise and development of our R&D function and wish him well in his retirement.”