PepsiCo confirmed his dying on a memorial page, which signifies he served as a result of the CEO of every Pepsi-Cola and PepsiCo for 23 years. The company said he retired in 1986, nevertheless was “a trusted advisor and advocate for PepsiCo leaders, serving the company an entire of 39 years all through his extraordinary life.”
Kendall’s family said in a news release that he died Saturday.
“All of us at PepsiCo are devastated by the passing of Don Kendall,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon L. Laguarta in an announcement. “Don was the architect of the PepsiCo family. He was relentless about rising our enterprise, a fearless chief, and the final phrase salesman.”
The company said that Kendall and Herman Lay organized the deal to merge Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay in 1965, creating the “modern-day” PepsiCo. He was a long-time good buddy of former US President Richard Nixon, consistent with the company.
