PepsiCo CEO Shares Leadership Insights at Ross Event
Local business operators and students learned key executive strategies during a dialogue at the Ross School of Business.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in People
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PepsiCo CEO Ram Krishnan joined students and community members at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business for a leadership dialogue. The event, held as part of the Sanger Leadership Center's speaker series, provided insights into corporate leadership strategies.
Why it matters
Engaging with industry leaders allows operators and students to better understand the strategic frameworks and decision-making processes used by multinational corporations. These dialogues offer direct access to executive perspectives on scaling operations and market positioning.
Approximately 100 students and community members gathered for the session at the Ross School of Business. The discussion was hosted by the Sanger Leadership Center as part of its annual Leadership Dialogues speaker series.
The players
Ram Krishnan
The CEO of PepsiCo, a multinational food and beverage corporation with a vast portfolio of consumer brands.
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks
An academic and moderator who facilitated the leadership dialogue at the Ross School of Business.
Eric Pellegrini
The senior marketing director at PepsiCo, a role responsible for executing consumer brand strategy and market growth.
Sanger Leadership Center
An organization based at the University of Michigan focused on fostering leadership development through speaker series and programming.
Ross School of Business
A University of Michigan academic institution that serves as a hub for leadership training and executive education.
The details
The session featured a structured format beginning with a private reception for students, followed by a moderated panel discussion. Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks facilitated the dialogue with Krishnan, focusing on leadership and organizational strategy. Eric Pellegrini, senior marketing director at PepsiCo, also participated in the programming.
Timeline
Friday afternoon, October 16, 2026.
Market Landscape
The event aligns with the standard format of the Sanger Leadership Center's Leadership Dialogues, which regularly hosts industry executives. This ongoing series serves as a key bridge between global corporate leadership and the academic community.
Business operators should monitor the strategic shifts and public discussions led by major industry players like PepsiCo to benchmark their own operational strategies. Identifying how top-tier executives handle organizational growth can offer actionable insights for scaling smaller enterprises.
The takeaway
Leadership dialogues remain a primary method for observing how large-scale corporate leaders approach industry-wide challenges and organizational pivots. Operators should look for summaries of these discussions to identify common themes in corporate strategy that may apply to their own local markets.
Further reading
For more insights into executive leadership and career development, browse our People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Michigan Daily.
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