- Kenneth Hein, Brandweek

NEW YORK The changes keep coming fast and furious at PepsiCo. Just weeks after dismissing BBDO, New York, from its flagship soft drink brand in the U.S., the company has named Jill Beraud to the newly created position of worldwide CMO.

Beraud, 48, who reports directly to CEO Indra Nooyi, spent 13 years at Limited Brands. Most recently, she was CMO of Victoria's Secret. She starts at Pepsi tomorrow.

Beraud will have the hefty responsibility of developing marketing strategies for PepsiCo's $39 billion portfolio of Frito-Lay, Pepsi-Cola beverages and Quaker products. From Doritos to Mountain Dew, she is charged with driving long-term growth and innovation across 200 countries. Per the company's annual report, all marketing activities totaled $2.9 billion in 2007, including advertising expenses of $1.9 billion.

PepsiCo is a company in flux as it looks to kick start its sluggish North American beverage division. Nooyi has pledged to spend $1.2 billion over the next three years to revitalize its carbonated soft drink sales.

It has already begun wholesale changes to its core brands by completely repackaging Pepsi and naming TBWA\Chiat\Day, Playa del Rey, Calif., as the soda's new creative agency. The Arnell Group, New York, was also brought on board for new brand identity and packaging projects.

The company's largest bottler, Pepsi Bottling Group, is also in the midst of a major restructuring, including the loss of more than 3,000 jobs.

PepsiCo announced net revenue growth of 11 percent during its third-quarter earnings call in October. PepsiCo Americas Foods and PepsiCo International drove the increase.

"Never have we integrated our marketing efforts in a holistic, global and disciplined fashion across the PepsiCo enterprise," said Nooyi in a statement. "Jill has a proven track record of building brands and delivering profitable sales growth through innovative marketing."

Beraud is credited with turning around the Express and Bath & Body Works brands during her tenure at Limited Brands. She also spent time as a consultant and served in brand management at Procter & Gamble for five years.

PepsiCo spent $741 million on U.S. media for the first nine months of the year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus, and $864 million in 2007.