American Tower vs PepsiCo: Founders, CEOs and History
American Tower was founded in 1995 by Steven B. Dodge and is led by Steven Vondran. PepsiCo was founded in 1965 by Caleb Bradham, Donald M. Kendall, Herman W. Lay and is led by Ramon Laguarta.
Company facts
American Tower
- Founded
- 1995
- Headquarters
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Current CEO
- Steven Vondran
- Employees
- 4,866
PepsiCo
- Founded
- 1965
- Headquarters
- Purchase, New York, United States
- Current CEO
- Ramon Laguarta
- Employees
- 306,000
Founders
American Tower
Steven B. Dodge
Unlike legacy media or manufacturing companies, American Tower was not founded by a solitary inventor in a garage; it was a calculated, strategic spin-off orchestrated by a broadcasting conglomerate anticipating a structural shift in the telecommunications ind…
PepsiCo
Caleb Bradham
Caleb Bradham created "Brad's Drink" at his New Bern pharmacy in 1898, renamed it Pepsi-Cola and incorporated the Pepsi-Cola Company in 1902.
Donald M. Kendall
Donald M. Kendall led Pepsi-Cola and engineered its 1965 merger with Frito-Lay to form PepsiCo, which he ran as CEO until 1986.
Herman W. Lay
Herman W. Lay (1909-1982) started his career as a snack food salesman. In 1932, he opened a snack food operation in Nashville, Tennessee, eventually purchasing the manufacturer and renaming it H.W. Lay & Company.
CEOs and their tenures
American Tower
- Steven B. Dodge1995–2003
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Created American Tower as a tower division inside American Radio Systems in 1995 on the premise that carriers would rather lease antenna space from a neutral operator than build their own structures.
Source - James Taiclet2003–2020
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Joined American Tower in 2001 as president and chief operating officer, was named chief executive officer on October 10, 2003 and became chairman in February 2004.
Source - Tom Bartlett2020–2024
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Joined American Tower as chief financial officer in April 2009 after a career at Verizon Communications and its predecessor companies, and became president and chief executive officer effective March 16, 2020.
Source - Steven Vondran2024–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Became president and chief executive officer on February 1, 2024, succeeding Tom Bartlett. Vondran joined American Tower in 2000 and ran the US Tower Division, including its data center business, then served as global chief operating officer.
Source
PepsiCo
- D. Wayne Calloway1986–1996
Chief Executive Officer
He more than doubled PepsiCo's revenues during his tenure and heavily invested in the restaurant division before it was later spun off.
Source - Roger Enrico1996–2001
Chief Executive Officer
He dramatically simplified the company's structure, allowing it to focus resources on its core grocery and convenience store distribution networks.
Source - Steven Reinemund2001–2006
Chief Executive Officer
He oversaw significant international expansion and revenue growth, setting a strong operational foundation before handing leadership to Nooyi.
Source - Indra Nooyi2006–2018
Chief Executive Officer
Under her 12-year tenure as CEO, PepsiCo's revenue grew by more than 80%, and she fundamentally reshaped the company's identity from a junk-food purveyor to a diversified global food and beverage giant.
Source - Ramon Laguarta2018–present
Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer
He sustained strong organic revenue growth and protected operating margins through historically challenging supply chain conditions, while committing the company to major sustainability and packaging reduction goals.
Source
Timeline: American Tower and PepsiCo side by side
1898PepsiCo
Pepsi-Cola Invented in North Carolina
Caleb Bradham formulated the original digestive cola syrup in his drugstore.
1965PepsiCo
Historic Merger of Pepsi-Cola & Frito-Lay
Donald Kendall and Herman Lay created PepsiCo, uniting snacks and soft drinks.
1975PepsiCo
Launch of the Pepsi Challenge
National blind taste tests shook Coca-Cola's market dominance and redefined advertising.
1995American Tower
Tower division formed inside American Radio Systems
Steven B. Dodge set up American Tower Systems as a division of American Radio Systems to lease antenna space on broadcast and new cellular towers to multiple carriers at once.
1997PepsiCo
Restaurant Business Spun Off
PepsiCo spun off its restaurant businesses (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC) as Tricon Global Restaurants, now Yum! Brands, in 1997.
1998American Tower
Spin-off from American Radio Systems and NYSE listing
CBS acquired American Radio Systems in June 1998 and the tower business became the independent, NYSE-listed American Tower Corporation with more than 1,800 towers in 44 states and the District of Columbia.
1998PepsiCo
Acquisition of Tropicana ($3.3B)
Acquired chilled orange juice leader Tropicana to dominate morning beverages.
1999American Tower
First international markets in Mexico and Brazil
American Tower established operations in Mexico in 1998 and Brazil in 1999, beginning an international portfolio that later reached Europe, Africa and Asia.
2001PepsiCo
Acquisition of Quaker Oats & Gatorade ($13.4B)
Acquired Quaker Oats, adding sports hydration pioneer Gatorade to the portfolio.
2002American Tower
Telecom downturn cuts the company's market value
Carrier and competitive local exchange carrier bankruptcies cut leasing demand and closed credit markets. American Tower's equity market value fell to about $690 million at the end of 2002 before recovering to roughly $2.4 billion a year later.
2003American Tower
James Taiclet succeeds founder Steven B. Dodge as CEO
The board named James D. Taiclet chief executive officer on October 10, 2003, succeeding Steven B. Dodge. Taiclet added the chairman title in February 2004 and ran the company until 2020.
2005American Tower
SpectraSite merger completed
The SpectraSite merger closed on August 8, 2005 in a stock exchange valuing SpectraSite's equity at about $3.1 billion, creating a portfolio of over 22,000 owned communications sites.
2006PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi becomes CEO
Indra Nooyi became CEO of PepsiCo in 2006. Chief executive of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018.
2007American Tower
Added to the S&P 500
Standard and Poor's named American Tower as the replacement for ALLTEL in the S&P 500 in November 2007, after ALLTEL was taken private.
2011PepsiCo
Wimm-Bill-Dann Acquired
PepsiCo completed its acquisition of the Russian dairy and juice company Wimm-Bill-Dann in 2011.
2012American Tower
REIT conversion takes effect
After board approval in May 2011 and a stockholder vote in November 2011, American Tower qualified as a real estate investment trust for the taxable year beginning January 1, 2012 and began paying regular quarterly dividends.
2013American Tower
Global Tower Partners acquisition closes
American Tower completed the purchase of MIP Tower Holdings, parent of Global Tower Partners, on October 1, 2013, paying about $3.3 billion in cash and assuming roughly $1.5 billion of debt.
2015American Tower
Verizon tower transaction
American Tower took exclusive rights to lease and operate about 11,324 Verizon towers for roughly 28 years and bought about 165 towers outright for $5.056 billion in cash.
2018PepsiCo
Acquisition of SodaStream ($3.2B) & Ramon Laguarta Appointed CEO
Acquired SodaStream to pioneer eco-friendly dispensing; Ramon Laguarta took over as CEO.
2020American Tower
InSite Wireless deal adds the first Canadian sites
The $3.5 billion InSite Wireless Group acquisition closed on December 23, 2020, adding about 3,000 communications sites primarily in the United States and Canada.
2021American Tower
Telxius Towers and CoreSite reshape the portfolio
American Tower agreed in January 2021 to buy roughly 31,000 Telxius Towers sites in Germany, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina for about $8.7 billion (7.7 billion euros), then closed the $10.1 billion CoreSite data center acquisition on December 28, 202…
2022PepsiCo
Strategic Distribution Alliance with Celsius ($550M)
Secured master global distribution for fast-growing energy brand Celsius.
2024American Tower
Leadership change and exit from India
Steven Vondran became president and chief executive officer on February 1, 2024. On September 12, 2024 American Tower closed the disposal of ATC India, about 76,000 communications sites, to Data Infrastructure Trust for total cash proceeds of about $2.5 billio…
2025American Tower
FY2025 results and a smaller, denser portfolio
American Tower reported FY2025 revenue of $10,645 million and adjusted EBITDA of $7.1 billion, ended the year with 149,686 communications sites and net leverage of 4.9 times adjusted EBITDA, and repurchased about $365 million of stock.
2025PepsiCo
poppi Acquisition and Elliott-Backed Plan
Closed the $1.95 billion poppi deal and announced a North America cost and pricing reset in December.
2026PepsiCo
Price Cuts on Core Snacks
Lowered prices on major Frito-Lay brands by up to 15% to recover US volumes.
Acquisitions
American Tower
- Telxius Towers2021$9.4B
- CoreSite2021$10.1B
- Eaton Towers2020$1.9B
- InSite Wireless Group2020$3.5B
- Verizon tower portfolio2015$5.1B
- Global Tower Partners2013$4.8B
PepsiCo
- poppi2025$1.9B
- SodaStream International2018$3.2B
- The Quaker Oats Company (including Gatorade)2001$13.4B
- Tropicana Products1998$3.3B
Questions about American Tower vs PepsiCo
Who is the CEO of American Tower Corporation and PepsiCo, Inc.?
American Tower Corporation is led by Steven Vondran and PepsiCo, Inc. is led by Ramon Laguarta. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was American Tower Corporation founded vs PepsiCo, Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. was founded in 1965 — 30 years before American Tower Corporation, which was founded in 1995. PepsiCo, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger American Tower Corporation.
How many employees does American Tower Corporation have compared to PepsiCo, Inc.?
American Tower Corporation employs approximately 4,866 people, while PepsiCo, Inc. employs approximately 306,000. PepsiCo, Inc. has the larger workforce at 306,000 employees, compared to American Tower Corporation's 4,866. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are American Tower Corporation and PepsiCo, Inc. headquartered?
Both American Tower Corporation and PepsiCo, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded American Tower Corporation and PepsiCo, Inc.?
American Tower Corporation was founded by Steven B. Dodge. PepsiCo, Inc. was founded by Caleb Bradham, Donald M. Kendall, Herman W. Lay.
Which company has a longer operating history — American Tower Corporation or PepsiCo, Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. has been operating for approximately 61 years, making it the more established of the two companies. American Tower Corporation has been in operation for around 31 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the American Tower vs PepsiCo overview