PepsiCo vs Travelers: Founders, CEOs and History
PepsiCo was founded in 1965 by Caleb Bradham, Donald M. Kendall, Herman W. Lay and is led by Ramon Laguarta. Travelers was founded in 1853 by Eliphalet Terry, Henry R. Fitch and is led by Alan Schnitzer.
Company facts
Founders
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.
Travelers
Eliphalet Terry
Eliphalet Terry was a Hartford businessman and insurance executive whom the company lists among its founders. He is associated with Hartford's mid-19th-century insurance community that helped launch Travelers.
Henry R. Fitch
Henry R. Fitch (often credited alongside James G. Batterson) helped found the original Travelers Insurance Company in 1864 in Hartford, Connecticut.
CEOs and their tenures
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
Travelers
- Jay Fishman2004–2015
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO until his tragic death from ALS in 2015, he is universally recognized as the absolute architect of the modern Travelers Companies, deeply cementing its status as a Dow Jones Industrial Average component.
Source - Alan D. Schnitzer2015–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Schnitzer joined Travelers in 2007 as general counsel, later ran Business and International Insurance, became CEO in December 2015 and chairman in 2017.
Source - Daniel S. Frey2018–present
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he provides the absolutely critical financial discipline required to navigate the highly volatile property and casualty insurance market.
Source
Timeline: PepsiCo and Travelers side by side
1853Travelers
Oldest insurance roots date to 1853
Travelers traces part of its history to insurance organizations dating back to 1853, making it one of the oldest names in U.S. insurance.
1864Travelers
Travelers accident insurance roots
The Travelers name became associated with accident insurance in Hartford during the railroad era, laying the brand foundation for later expansion.
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.
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.
1998PepsiCo
Acquisition of Tropicana ($3.3B)
Acquired chilled orange juice leader Tropicana to dominate morning beverages.
1998Travelers
Travelers Group and Citicorp form Citigroup
Sanford Weill's Travelers Group merged with Citicorp to create Citigroup. The property-casualty business was spun off again in 2002.
2001PepsiCo
Acquisition of Quaker Oats & Gatorade ($13.4B)
Acquired Quaker Oats, adding sports hydration pioneer Gatorade to the portfolio.
2004Travelers
St. Paul and Travelers merger
The merger of The St. Paul Companies and Travelers created a major property and casualty insurer with greater commercial lines scale.
2006PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi becomes CEO
Indra Nooyi became CEO of PepsiCo in 2006. Chief executive of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018.
2007Travelers
Renamed The Travelers Companies
St. Paul Travelers reacquired the red umbrella trademark from Citigroup and adopted The Travelers Companies, Inc. name.
2011PepsiCo
Wimm-Bill-Dann Acquired
PepsiCo completed its acquisition of the Russian dairy and juice company Wimm-Bill-Dann in 2011.
2017Travelers
Simply Business acquisition
Travelers acquired Simply Business, expanding digital small-business insurance capabilities.
2018PepsiCo
Acquisition of SodaStream ($3.2B) & Ramon Laguarta Appointed CEO
Acquired SodaStream to pioneer eco-friendly dispensing; Ramon Laguarta took over as CEO.
2022PepsiCo
Strategic Distribution Alliance with Celsius ($550M)
Secured master global distribution for fast-growing energy brand Celsius.
2024Travelers
Corvus Insurance acquired
Travelers completed its purchase of cyber insurance specialist Corvus for about $435 million.
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.
2025Travelers
2025 total revenues reach $48.828B
Travelers reported $48.828 billion in total revenues and $6.288 billion in net income for 2025.
2026PepsiCo
Price Cuts on Core Snacks
Lowered prices on major Frito-Lay brands by up to 15% to recover US volumes.
2026Travelers
Canada sale to Definity closes
On January 2, 2026, Travelers completed the sale of its Canadian personal insurance business and most of its Canadian commercial business to Definity for about US$2.4 billion.
2026Travelers
Q2 2026 net income of $2.208B
Second-quarter net income rose to $2.208 billion, with an 83.6% combined ratio and lower catastrophe losses.
Acquisitions
PepsiCo
- poppi2025$1.9B
- SodaStream International2018$3.2B
- The Quaker Oats Company (including Gatorade)2001$13.4B
- Tropicana Products1998$3.3B
Travelers
- Corvus Insurance2024$435M
- Simply Business2017$490M
- The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company2013Undisclosed
- USF&G1998Undisclosed
Questions about PepsiCo vs Travelers
Who is the CEO of PepsiCo, Inc. and The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. is led by Ramon Laguarta and The Travelers Companies, Inc. is led by Alan Schnitzer. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was PepsiCo, Inc. founded vs The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 — 112 years before PepsiCo, Inc., which was founded in 1965. The Travelers Companies, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger PepsiCo, Inc..
How many employees does PepsiCo, Inc. have compared to The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. employs approximately 306,000 people, while The Travelers Companies, Inc. employs approximately 32,500. PepsiCo, Inc. has the larger workforce at 306,000 employees, compared to The Travelers Companies, Inc.'s 32,500. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are PepsiCo, Inc. and The Travelers Companies, Inc. headquartered?
Both PepsiCo, Inc. and The Travelers Companies, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded PepsiCo, Inc. and The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. was founded by Caleb Bradham, Donald M. Kendall, Herman W. Lay. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded by Eliphalet Terry, Henry R. Fitch.
Which company has a longer operating history — PepsiCo, Inc. or The Travelers Companies, Inc.?
The Travelers Companies, Inc. has been operating for approximately 173 years, making it the more established of the two companies. PepsiCo, Inc. has been in operation for around 61 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 PepsiCo vs Travelers overview