Keurig Dr Pepper CFO’s leap to CEO of coffee spinoff fueled by key career moves
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KDP will split into two U.S.-listed companies following its acquisition of JDE Peet’s.
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investment
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August 26, 2025
12:21 PM
Fortune
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s·CFO DailyKeurig Dr Pepper CFO’s leap to CEO of coffee spinoff fueled by key career movesBy Sheryl EstradaBy Sheryl EstradaSenior Writer and author of CFO DailySheryl EstradaSenior Writer and author of CFO DailySheryl Estrada is a senior writer at Fortune, where she covers the corporate finance industry, Wall Street, and corporate leadership
She also CFO Daily.SEE FULL BIO Keurig Dr Pepper's Sudhanshu PriyadarshiCourtesy of Keurig Dr
In less than three years, Sudhanshu Priyadarshi, CFO of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), was tapped for a chief executive role
KDP announced on Monday an agreement to acquire Amsterdam-based coffee-seller JDE Peet’s for $18 billion
The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026
Afterward, KDP (No. 284 on the Fortune 500) will split into two U.S.-listed companies: Priyadarshi will lead the coffee , and current KDP CEO Tim Cofer will head the beverage , with brands such as Dr Pepper, 7 Up, and Snapple
The separation is expected to be by the end of next year. “Sudhanshu has been a true partner of mine over the past two years,” Cofer said on a call with investors Monday morning
He described him as an “ambitious strategic thinker, a financially-minded operator, and an inspiring people leader.” Priyadarshi said in a LinkedIn post Monday that it’s an honor to be named the future CEO of the global coffee company
The road from CFO to CEO Priyadarshi spent 14 years at PepsiCo in finance and strategy, including as CFO for Global R&D & Nutrition
He later served as global COO at Cipla, handling multiple M&A deals, and held senior finance roles at Walmart
Before joining KDP in November 2022, he was CFO of Vista Outdoor
KDP’s board chose Priyadarshi for his strong consumer packaged goods foundation at PepsiCo, extensive strategy and M&A experience—”going through a spin will feel natural to him,” Scott Simmons, co-managing partner at executive firm Crist Kolder Associates, told me. “Most importantly, just a year after joining KDP as CFO, he was given responsibility for the $2 billion international ,” Simmons said
As more finance chiefs move into CEO roles, Simmons added, Priyadarshi’s move into general management overseeing a significant P&L, combined with his experience since 2022 as a board member at Wabash National, are “textbook plays for growing a CFO into CEO.” Morningstar analyst Dan Su told me that, as CEO for the global coffee company, investors will focus on Priyadarshi’s global operational experience and ability to lead diverse teams
KDP itself was established in 2018 ing the $18.7 billion merger of Keurig Green Mountain Coffee and Dr Pepper Snapple
This made it the most diversified enterprise in nonalcoholic “refreshment” beverages, with more than 125 brands as owner, investor, or distributor
This diversification helped the company weather shifts in consumer preferences
KDP’s acquisition of JDE Peet’s comes as coffee prices climb amid new trade wars and the recent 50% U.S. tariff on Brazilian imports, the world’s top coffee exporter
On Monday, the market initially disd the move, sending KDP s down as much as 11% and erasing billions in value
Still, analysts and Fortune’s Shawn Tully see Cofer’s strategy as a fundamentally sound long-term shift for the company. (You can read Tully’s analysis here.) JDE Peet’s deal will expand its global coffee portfolio and generate $400 million in synergies over three years, according to KDP.Priyadarshi’s journey from CFO to CEO marks the start of a new chapter—not just for him, but for a global coffee leader poised for expansion as industry dynamics shift
Sheryl Estradasheryl.estrada@fortune.comLeaderboardSurajit Datta was appointed CFO of Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a vider of AI-powered autonomous vehicle nology, effective immediately
Datta succeeds Eric Chow, who has been with Kodiak since January 2019, has served as CFO since 2022 and plans to remain at Kodiak through the end of 2025 to support the transition
Datta brings more than 20 years of experience
Most recently, he served as VP of finance at SentinelOne, a cybersecurity firm
Before that, he held several senior-level positions with semiconductor and AI nology company Arm, including VP of finance and corporate development
In addition, Datta has over a decade of experience in investment banking at Evercore and J.P
Philip Carter was appointed senior VP and CFO of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: SWKS), a vider of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, effective Sept. 8
Carter joins Skyworks from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), where he has served as corporate VP and chief accounting officer since November 2024
Before AMD, Carter served as Skyworks’ vice president, corporate controller and principal accounting officer
Previously, at Broadcom Inc., he helped transform their accounting organization in terms of people, cess and systems during a period of rapid growth
Big DealRe by EisnerAmper, a global advisory firm, reveals a gap between employees and employers regarding AI use
While 80% of employees surveyed report a net positive experience using , only 36% say their company has a formal AI policy in place
Just 22% of employees who used AI for work in the past year report that their employer actively monitors their AI usage
Also, 60% of employees rely on free AI platforms rather than internally developed ones (24%) or external, company-paid tools (43%)
Additionally, 28% would use even if it were banned.The findings are based on a survey of 1,017 U.S. full-time desk workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher, all of whom have worked with AI in the past 12 months
Going deeper"Chevron’s president explains how the company transformed the historically boom-and-bust shale into a steadily fitable enterprise" is a report by Fortune's Jordan Blum From the report: "Leaning on West Texas’ booming Permian Basin, Chevron says its combination of sheer scale and nology allows it to hop off the spending treadmill and finally pump the shale for healthy fitability without the constant cry for “Drill, baby, drill.” While Exxon Mobil may remain larger, Chevron is aiming for No. 1 in the leery eyes of a Wall Street that previously soured on the oil sector." Blum continues, "The closing of its $53 billion megadeal to acquire Hess in July allows Chevron to focus internationally on new growth, especially its acquired position offshore Guyana—arguably the largest oil discovery of the century—while using the U.S. and its massive foot in the Permian to reap the needed influx of free cash flow." (You can read the complete report here.) Overheard"Hardware companies that enlist next gen AI to put customers first, capture enormous value, introduce infrastructure efficiency, and attract sustainable investment will be leaders in the market."—Matt Rogers is the cofounder and CEO of Mill, a wasted food prevention company, writes in a Fortune opinion piece
Rogers co-founded Nest, acquired by Google in 2014 for $3.2B
Prior to Nest, he worked with Steve Jobs to build the very first iPhone, as well as device hardware in the 2000s.This is the web version of CFO Daily, a on the trends and individuals shaping corporate finance. for free.
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