About

Headquartered in Barcelona, the legal team that supports PepsiCo’s Western European operations has made a valuable contribution to the company’s significant growth and development in recent years. Led by John Rigau, a well-recognised professional in the industry and the president of the Spanish Beverages Association, the team works in close proximity to the senior management structure of the company, cementing its significance within the business. Having grown dramatically over the past 20 years from a one-person function to a team of 17 employees, the legal department oversees some of PepsiCo’s most important acquisitions in Europe. Using internal knowledge of the business and leveraging external counsel where necessary, the team has closed deals in several European countries in the recent past, including France, the Netherlands and Spain, among others. The wide reaching dimensions of the team’s combined professional expertise, alongside the innovative culture instilled by Rigau, has enabled it to show flexibility in adapting to the rapidly changing regulations affecting the company’s products and advertising across the various markets in which it operates. The efforts made by Rigau and his colleagues to have an open conversation with authorities and regulators regarding PepsiCo’s role in the market, alongside their decisive approach in engaging with many trade associations to promote healthier lifestyles, has been beneficial to the reputation and public image of the company across Europe.