Dawn Hudson

Dawn Hudson is President of Pepsi-Cola North America, the $4 billion refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo in the United States and Canada. She assumed this responsibility in June 2002.
Previously Senior Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, Dawn has led Pepsi-Cola North America’s brand strategy and marketing efforts since 1998. In that role she also was responsible for the company’s channel strategy and marketing, product innovation, research and development, joint ventures and marketplace initiative development.

One of the USA’s preeminent marketers, Hudson has more than 20 years of strategic brand-building experience behind some of the world’s best-known consumer products. She has led Pepsi’s efforts to create high-impact, sustainable programmes while guiding major advances in the company’s advertising and communications. In 1999, she launched Pepsi’s popular “Joy of Cola” campaign and guided Pepsi into its largest summer promotion ever, a tie-in with “Star Wars, Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” In 2000, she helped revitalize the Pepsi Challenge after a 17-year hiatus. And, in 2001, she launched new “Joy of Pepsi” advertising featuring Britney Spears and oversaw the national introductions of Pepsi Twist and Mountain Dew Code Red.

Dawn also has served as Senior Vice President of Marketing, flavour brands, new products and joint ventures. She first joined PepsiCo in 1996 as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Frito-Lay, where she played a key role in Rold Gold’s successful “Pretzel Boy” advertising campaign and globalized Lay’s Potato Chips by transforming its advertising, packaging, merchandising and positioning into a single worldwide campaign.

She has won the “B*East” award from District Two of the American Advertising Federation, has been named twice to Advertising Age’s list of Top 50 Marketers and has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement.