About

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with a product portfolio including 22 brands that generate more than US$1bn each in annual retail sales. The legal and corporate affairs team at Pepsi South West Europe is led by John Rigau, serving as legal vice president. The team is composed of five lawyers and three public affairs and corporate communications team members that are based in different locations across Spain. More than 80% of the team are women. The team provides legal support to the business in Spain, Portugal and Italy, as well as to the team of snacks and beverages for Europe. Legal training and compliance matters are also covered by the legal team, in coordination with the company’s compliance and ethics goals. To ensure independence, Rigau has a dual reporting relationship; a dotted-line reporting to the general manager of the business unit, and a strong-line reporting to the general counsel for Europe and sub-Saharan Africa (based in the UK) who reports to the global general counsel based at PepsiCo’s headquarters in New York. Recently, the legal team has strengthened its public affairs and corporate communications structure for South West Europe, and a member of the legal team has been recently promoted to legal director. The team culture, according to Rigau, contains the following: ‘A creative mind-set with a can-do attitude as business partners, while keeping integrity and corporate values in the core of every decision we make, always leading by example; as well as collaboration and team spirit, voicing our views openly and sharing experiences for the benefit of the group’.