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US functional drinks group Celsius Holdings has appointed PepsiCo executive Eric Hanson as its chief operating officer, a newly created role.
Hanson, who will also be Celsius's president as well as COO, will join on 24 March and report to John Fieldly, the company's chairman and CEO.
In a statement, the energy drinks maker said: “This addition supports Celsius’ pursuit of category leadership in functional beverages, where there continues to be significant growth opportunities.”
The company said Hanson will spearhead “key growth-driving functions” at Celsius to “unlock additional synergies” with its “strategic” partners.
Hanson has worked for PepsiCo for more than two decades, most recently as senior vice-president of strategic partnerships at PepsiCo. In that role, he worked with Celsius.
Fieldly said: “Eric is a proven leader with a wealth of expertise, positioning him well to drive strategic collaboration among our seasoned teams and to lead the integration and optimisation of our acquisitions.”
After joining PepsiCo in 1997, Hanson held various leadership roles, including senior vice-president of energy drinks, where he led the integration of Rockstar after the US giant bought the brand in 2020.
On his appointment as COO, Hanson said: “Celsius is driving the energy drink category’s growth. Its expanding portfolio of premium fitness and wellness lifestyle brands – soon to include Alani Nu – aligns with consumer megatrends, and I look forward to working with John and the rest of the team to help integrate this powerful portfolio, accelerate growth and innovation, and to further enhance operational excellence at Celsius.”
Last month, Celsius announced plans to snap up health and wellness beverage and snacks maker Alani Nutrition (Alani Nu) in a $1.8bn deal.
Kentucky-based Alani Nu will be bought from its co-founders, Katy and Haydn Schneider, as well as Congo Brands’ co-founders, Max Clemons and Trey Steiger.
It was also announced last month that Celsius had agreed to settle shareholder lawsuits concerning its accounting practices.
According to a court filing in Nevada, investors Jennifer Hammond, Nicholas Ingrao, Doreen Lampert and Dana Hepworth accused the company of engaging in “improper accounting” practices in 2021.
In January, Celsius reached a settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), agreeing to pay a $3m fine over charges related to improper accounting for stock-based awards.
"Celsius appoints PepsiCo executive to newly created COO position" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.