PepsiCo vs Visa: Founders, CEOs and History
PepsiCo was founded in 1965 by Caleb Bradham, Donald M. Kendall, Herman W. Lay and is led by Ramon Laguarta. Visa was founded in 1958 by Dee Hock and is led by Ryan McInerney.
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.
Visa
Dee Hock
Dee Hock (1929-2022) was the founding CEO of National BankAmericard Inc., the bank-owned company that took over the BankAmericard licensing system from Bank of America in 1970 and adopted the Visa name in 1976.
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
Visa
- Alfred F. Kelly Jr.2016–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2016 to 2023, he heavily modernized the massive legacy network, aggressively integrating fintechs and preparing the network to process highly complex cryptocurrency transactions.
Source - Ryan McInerney2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
McInerney joined Visa in 2013 as president after senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and became chief executive on February 1, 2023, succeeding Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
Source
Timeline: PepsiCo and Visa side by side
1898PepsiCo
Pepsi-Cola Invented in North Carolina
Caleb Bradham formulated the original digestive cola syrup in his drugstore.
1958Visa
BankAmericard launched
Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the direct predecessor to Visa.
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.
1976Visa
Visa name adopted
The network adopted the Visa name to support international acceptance and brand consistency.
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.
2001PepsiCo
Acquisition of Quaker Oats & Gatorade ($13.4B)
Acquired Quaker Oats, adding sports hydration pioneer Gatorade to the portfolio.
2006PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi becomes CEO
Indra Nooyi became CEO of PepsiCo in 2006. Chief executive of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018.
2008Visa
Visa IPO
Visa became a public company, changing the economics from a bank association structure to a shareholder-owned company.
2011PepsiCo
Wimm-Bill-Dann Acquired
PepsiCo completed its acquisition of the Russian dairy and juice company Wimm-Bill-Dann in 2011.
2016Visa
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. becomes CEO
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. became CEO of Visa in 2016. Chief executive of Visa from December 2016 to January 2023, when Ryan McInerney succeeded him; Kelly then served as executive chairman.
2018PepsiCo
Acquisition of SodaStream ($3.2B) & Ramon Laguarta Appointed CEO
Acquired SodaStream to pioneer eco-friendly dispensing; Ramon Laguarta took over as CEO.
2020Visa
Acquired Plaid (abandoned)
Visa acquired Plaid (abandoned) for $5.3 billion. Visa agreed in January 2020 to buy US data-connectivity fintech Plaid for USD 5.3 billion.
2022PepsiCo
Strategic Distribution Alliance with Celsius ($550M)
Secured master global distribution for fast-growing energy brand Celsius.
2022Visa
Tink acquisition
Visa completed its purchase of Stockholm-based open banking platform Tink in March 2022.
2023Visa
Ryan McInerney becomes CEO
Ryan McInerney became Visa's CEO after serving as president.
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.
2025Visa
Revenue reaches $40.0B
Visa reported $40.0 billion in fiscal 2025 net revenue.
2026PepsiCo
Price Cuts on Core Snacks
Lowered prices on major Frito-Lay brands by up to 15% to recover US volumes.
Acquisitions
PepsiCo
- poppi2025$1.9B
- SodaStream International2018$3.2B
- The Quaker Oats Company (including Gatorade)2001$13.4B
- Tropicana Products1998$3.3B
Questions about PepsiCo vs Visa
Who is the CEO of PepsiCo, Inc. and Visa Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. is led by Ramon Laguarta and Visa Inc. is led by Ryan McInerney. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was PepsiCo, Inc. founded vs Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 — 7 years before PepsiCo, Inc., which was founded in 1965. Visa 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 Visa Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. employs approximately 306,000 people, while Visa Inc. employs approximately 34,100. PepsiCo, Inc. has the larger workforce at 306,000 employees, compared to Visa Inc.'s 34,100. 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 Visa Inc. headquartered?
Both PepsiCo, Inc. and Visa Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded PepsiCo, Inc. and Visa Inc.?
PepsiCo, Inc. was founded by Caleb Bradham, Donald M. Kendall, Herman W. Lay. Visa Inc. was founded by Dee Hock.
Which company has a longer operating history — PepsiCo, Inc. or Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. has been operating for approximately 68 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 Visa overview