Jon Banner joins PepsiCo’s global communications team as Senior Vice President, Global Strategy and Planning

PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) announced today that Jon Banner has been named senior vice president, global strategy and planning. Banner will be a senior member of PepsiCo’s global communications team responsible for synchronizing, coordinating and planning the company’s communications efforts worldwide and partnering with PepsiCo’s business units to support key business priorities.

Banner has extensive corporate media strategy and planning experience, has been a pioneer in the digital media space, and has a strong financial and business management background, all of which will be central to his new role at PepsiCo.

Banner joins PepsiCo from ABC News where he spent more than two decades and earned 15 Emmy Awards. Among other roles at the organization, he most recently served as senior executive producer of division-wide initiatives. He led the rebranding of ABC’s news division, and in that effort oversaw several teams including marketing, network research and promotion. Banner also helped lead the financial restructuring of ABC’s entire news division, and worked to innovate business practices across all programs and platforms of ABC.

“Jon is a seasoned professional and will be an outstanding addition to the PepsiCo communications team,” said PepsiCo’s executive vice president of communications Jim Wilkinson. “He has a unique understanding of today’s global communications landscape and has a proven track record of developing smart communications strategies across all forms of media to help achieve business objectives.”

Prior to his most recent position at ABC, Banner was the executive producer of “ABC’s World News” from June 2003 until 2011, distinguishing himself as the youngest producer appointed to run the evening news in ABC’s history. In this role, Banner oversaw several hundred employees around the world and controlled all editorial, creative and financial aspects of the network’s flagship broadcast.

Previously, Banner held a number of other senior editorial positions with ABC News, including senior broadcast producer of “ABC’s World News Tonight with Peter Jennings” and senior producer of “Good Morning America” news segments.

Earlier in his career, Banner ran ABC News’ Dallas bureau and was also an operations producer for “This Week with David Brinkley.” He began his career in 1989 as a desk assistant for “World News Tonight” in New York.

Banner earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University.