At Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, PepsiCo made one of the most definitive statements yet about the role of artificial intelligence in corporate strategy. Athina Kanioura, the company’s executive vice president and chief strategy and transformation officer, told the audience that by 2026 PepsiCo will operate as the world’s first “agentic AI-first” enterprise.
“We will be agentic in every part of the business by the end of 2026,” Kanioura said. “We will be the first company to be agentic AI-first in every part of the business, connecting all operations, connecting all our processes, the way we think of the business and strategise the business, the way we do innovation, commercialisation, execution and making sure that every employee in the company has a sales and growth mindset.”
The declaration places PepsiCo at the center of a conversation that is reshaping industries well beyond Silicon Valley. For Kanioura, the transition is not about isolated pilots but an enterprise-wide operating model that ties strategy, execution, and culture together through Salesforce’s Agentforce 360 platform.
AI as Infrastructure
The partnership with Salesforce reflects how PepsiCo is embedding AI deep into its global operations. From marketing and sales to supply chain and field execution, AI agents are being tasked with handling customer interactions, tracking deliveries, recommending store-level product mixes, and supporting merchandising strategies.
PwC has been another key player, having spent five years implementing Salesforce-enabled retail execution and CRM systems inside PepsiCo. That foundation is now being extended with Agentforce to modernize call centers, unify technology stacks, and orchestrate supply chains. “They’re bringing expertise on how we can take our Salesforce implementation to the next level with Agentforce,” said Shyam Venkat, PepsiCo’s chief digital and information officer for North America.
The AI push is part of a broader restructuring designed to offset rising costs from inflation and tariffs while streamlining operations across PepsiCo’s vast global footprint. The company has outlined plans to cut nearly 15% of its SKUs, consolidate its distribution network, and expand automation in plants and warehouses. It is also scaling global capability centers to standardize processes and accelerating AI deployment to reduce inefficiencies.
“Right-sizing our entire cost base is a priority,” CEO Ramon Laguarta told investors, “and significant productivity measures are in place for the current environment and will provide the fuel needed to invest in disciplined commercial activities that aim to accelerate growth.”
Already, the company reports that manufacturing and distribution changes, including plant closures to improve route efficiencies, have lowered unit costs and improved service levels.
Towards A Consumer Shift
PepsiCo’s operational reset is designed to support a shift in its product portfolio toward cleaner labels and higher-protein options. Recent launches include Muscle Milk, Doritos Protein, Propel Protein Water, and Starbucks coffee with protein. The company is also expanding zero-sugar offerings, scaling distribution of Poppi, and launching its own prebiotic soda brand.
Laguarta has said fiber will be the “next protein,” pointing to the growing role of nutrition in consumer choices. Lay’s and Tostitos are scheduled to remove artificial flavors and colors by year-end, while new lines such as Doritos and Cheetos “NKD” will debut without additives. “Consumers will be making more choices based on clean labels and ingredients,” he said.
As PepsiCo noted in its third-quarter earnings, reported net revenue growth accelerated, its international business remained resilient, and progress was made in North America through portfolio reshaping initiatives and improvements in marketplace competitiveness.
