Beverage Digest hosted its annual Future Smarts conference last December in New York City. The day’s lineup of speakers included leaders from three of the largest US beverage companies — Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. The executives sat for interviews on stage with Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford. Here are highlights as the speakers looked ahead to 2025...

Conditions are ripe for accelerated consolidation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage distribution businesses in the US market, predicts Matt Hughes, a former Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands executive. That could mean even Coca-Cola and Pepsi franchise bottlers one day look to combine with beer distributors to add efficiency and boost...

PepsiCo Gatorade President and GM Mike Del Pozzo is leaving the company to become president of US confection for chocolate maker Hershey. He starts Sept. 16. The 23-year PepsiCo veteran has led Gatorade since July 2022. “Mike has had an incredible run at PepsiCo, making significant impacts across multiple areas of our business,” PepsiCo Beverages North America CEO Ram Krishnan said in a statement to BD. “He is a true example of the leaders PepsiCo has....

CSD Priorities to Include Minicans, Flavors, Zero Sugar.

Gatorade Will Look to Deepen Gen Z Ties. Plus, New Energy for Rockstar.

Executives and operators from PepsiCo’s North America bottling system met recently in Las Vegas to discuss market plans for 2025. Ram Krishnan, who took over in January as CEO of PepsiCo Beverages North America, urged the audience...