(Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc said on Tuesday that longtime executive John Compton is leaving to become the chief executive of truck stop operator Pilot Flying J Oil Corp and said Zein Abdalla would succeed him as president, effective immediately.
Abdalla had been CEO of PEPSICO (PEP.NY)Europe and will be succeeded in that role by Enderson Guimaraes, the soft drink and food maker said.
Compton joined PepsiCo as a 21-year-old at the Pulaski, Tennessee Frito-Lay facility. Taking the CEO job at privately-held Flying J gives him the chance to return to Tennessee.
"I have deep and personal ties to Tennessee, and my family's plan all along has been to return to Tennessee at some point," Compton said in a statement. "I'm confident in PepsiCo's business strategy, and I believe that PepsiCo's best days are yet to come."
During Abdalla's tenure, the Europe division's revenue grew to $14 billion from $7 billion. Abdalla also helped PepsiCo become the largest food and beverage company in Russia, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said in statement.
Guimaraes joined PepsiCo in 2011 and had been president of the global nutrition group. His successor in that role will be named shortly, PepsiCo said.
Abdalla and Guimaraes will report to Nooyi. Abdalla will be based at PepsiCo's Purchase, New York, headquarters and Guimaraes will be based in Geneva, the company said.
(Reporting by Jessica Wohl in New York; Editing by Gary Hill and Andre Grenon)