Donald M. Kendall
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Donald Mcintosh Kendall was born in Sequim, Washington in 1921. His family owned a dairy farm. Donald M. Kendall was the CEO of PepsiCo from 1971 to 1986. In 1963, Kendall made the decision to change the name of Pepsi's diet soda from Patio Diet Cola to Diet Pepsi. In the early years of diet soft drinks, Pepsi became the first major soda manufacturer to give its diet product the same name as its flagship product.
Kendall is considered the co-founder of PepsiCo, Inc. as he and Herman Lay of Frito Lay, Inc. merged their two firms in 1965. Kendall joined Pepsi Cola Company as a sales representative and rose through the sales ranks becoming a marketing vice president in 1956. Kendall headed up Pepsi's international operation in 1957 and became president in 1963. Kendall gained the top spot of chairman and CEO in 1971 and he retired in 1986.
Kendall had a stormy professional relationship with Joan Crawford (Crawford referred to Kendall as "Fang" until her death in 1977), who gained a seat on the board of directors of Pepsi Cola Company after the death of her husband Al Steele. Crawford was active in promoting Pepsi-Cola, traveling both nationally and internationally for events such as plant openings and new product promotions. Eventually Kendall forced her out and she resigned her position from the company's Board of Directors.
Kendall was well acquainted with Richard Nixon and was photographed with him as Vice President and with Nikita Kruschev during Nixon's Moscow trip known for the Kitchen Debate. During the Nixon administration Pepsi Cola was always a prominent beverage at White House functions. Don was also familiar with George Bush Sr.
Kendall also brought Pepsi to Russia and was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, in 2004.
Kendall oversaw the creation of the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens, a sculpture park that includes gardens, trails and parks a collection of art, primarily 20th century sculpture including works by Rodin, Wynn and Calder, at PepsiCo's office in the Westchester County, N.Y. town of Purchase.
