PepsiCo Inc.’s prodigal general counsel returns. The beverage company announced Monday that since its current general counsel, Maura Abeln, will be leaving to pursue other opportunities, Larry Thompson is back on board and will take up his old post as GC.
Thompson previously served as general counsel, corporate secretary and senior vice president of government affairs from 2004 to 2011. His new position is much the same, except now he will be executive vice president of government affairs, and will also manage global compliance and the company’s philanthropic organization, the PepsiCo Foundation.
While he was away, Thompson joined the University of Georgia School of Law as the John A. Sibley Chair in Corporate and Business Law, as well as sitting on several other corporate boards.
As GC, Thompson has his work cut out for him. PepsiCo recently found itself in a legal battle with the children of Pepsi’s inventor over claims that they are the rightful owners of the invention. And earlier this year, the company settled charges that its hiring practices were racially biased—agreeing to improve training and extend job offers to applicants who were denied under the old policy.
"Larry is a proven and seasoned leader with a strong track record of success at PepsiCo,” said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo’s chairman and CEO in a press release. “He has been a highly regarded and trusted advisor, and he has a deep knowledge of, and passion for our business. We will benefit greatly from Larry's leadership moving forward.”
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