Finance & Capital Management

The appointment comes at a time when PepsiCo's underperforming beverage unit has been under scrutiny, with Wall Street chattering about the possibility of a spinoff of the unit to focus on its faster-growing snacks.

Weeklong festivities will feature 14,000 associates from all 27 countries and highlight the career opportunities at Walmart.

Lawrence Kurzius will also have the responsibility for several of the company's corporate functions, including IT, Supply Chain, R&D and Quality Assurance.

Chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld says, "The race is on for us to secure and expand our positions in these fast-growing markets." The company expects to increase investments by about $100 million this year,
$200 million in 2014 and up to $300 million in 2015.

The deal with TABS Group, Inc. is expected to help Prestige Brands measure, plan and optimize its promotional spending.

The combined company is expected to have greater access to the large and growing Chinese market and retain world-leading food safety and quality control standards.

Forbes annual snapshot of the 100 most powerful women includes top politicians and CEOs, activist billionaires, celebrities and more. Here, CGT highlights the top 10 most powerful women in the consumer goods industry, and in this 10th edition, attention must be paid to PepsiCos Indra Nooyi, who appeared on the inaugural list in 2004 and is still here today.

Lafley succeeds Robert A. Bob McDonald, who is retiring from the company on June 30, 2013, after 33 years of service.