PURCHASE, NY. — PepsiCo, Inc. has broadened its executive leadership team with the hiring of a chief corporate affairs officer and chief sustainability officer.

Roberto Azevêdo, currently director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has been named executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer, effective Sept. 1.

The newly created position of chief corporate affairs officers brings PepsiCo’s public policy, government affairs and communications activities under one umbrella. In his role, Mr. Azevêdo will focus on solidifying PepsiCo’s external engagement efforts with national and international governments, regulators, international organizations and non-governmental stakeholders. He also will help advance PepsiCo's Winning with Purpose strategy by strengthening the company's ESG value proposition and increasing engagement at local and community levels.

Mr. Azevêdo has been director-general of the WTO since September 2013. From 2008 to 2013 he was Brazil's ambassador to the WTO, and from 2006 to 2008, he was vice minister for economic and technological affairs at the Foreign Ministry in Brasilia, where he was Brazil's chief trade negotiator for the Doha Round and represented Brazil in Mercosur negotiations. From 2001 to 2005, he was head of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry's Dispute Settlement Unit and Brazil's chief litigator in WTO disputes. He began his career as a diplomat in Washington, followed by additional posts in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Geneva, Switzerland.

“We are thrilled to welcome Roberto, who brings valuable political skills and technical knowledge of the complex social, political, and regulatory environments impacting multinational corporations like PepsiCo,” said Ramon Laguarta, chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo. “Over the course of his career, Roberto has built an extensive, diverse network across the globe and is widely recognized by world players in both developed and developing economies. His geopolitical insights will be invaluable to our discussions and decision-making in an ever-changing world, and we are proud to have him lead our engagement with key global stakeholders.”

In addition, PepsiCo said it has elevated Jim Andrew to chief sustainability officer, effective Sept. 1. He will succeed Simon Lowden, who has decided to retire after 24 years with the company.

In his new role, Mr. Andrew will be responsible for leading PepsiCo's sustainability office, including the global sustainable plastics team and global sustainable operations team. He will focus on accelerating PepsiCo's global sustainability agenda while further integrating sustainability into the company's business strategy and brands. In addition, Mr. Andrew will continue in his role of executive vice president of Beyond the Bottle and oversee PepsiCo's SodaStream business.

“Jim’s experience running our Beyond the Bottle initiatives and our SodaStream business — both of which operate at the nexus of our commercial and sustainability agendas — make him the ideal leader for our sustainability efforts going forward,” Mr. Laguarta said. “With him at the helm, we will continue to raise our ambitions to become planet positive, taking bold steps to catalyze positive change and build a stronger, more sustainable future for us all.”