Two executives, two giant industries, one shared habit: they both stayed inside one company for decades and worked their way to the top. This guide looks at Ramon Laguarta and Marillyn Hewson side by side, so you can see how their careers, choices, and leadership styles differ. It also shows what founders, managers, and ambitious professionals can borrow from each of them. By the end, you will know who they are, how they led, and which lessons are worth applying to your own work.
Here is the short version. Ramon Laguarta is the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and has run the food and beverage giant since October 2018. Marillyn Hewson is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Lockheed Martin, and she led the aerospace and defense leader from 2013 to 2020. The story of Ramon Laguarta and Marillyn Hewson shows that there is no single route to the corner office.
Quick comparison:
| Detail | Ramon Laguarta | Marillyn Hewson |
| Company | PepsiCo (food and beverage) | Lockheed Martin (aerospace and defense) |
| Joined | 1996 | 1983 |
| Became CEO | October 2018 | January 2013 |
| Current status | Chairman and CEO | Retired CEO, corporate board director |
| Signature strategy | pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) | Growth through acquisitions and global programs |
| Starting point | Marketing and general management in Europe | Industrial engineer |
Who Is Ramon Laguarta?
Ramon Laguarta is a Spanish-born business leader and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo. He was born and raised in Barcelona and holds an MBA from ESADE Business School in Spain. He also earned a Master in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
He speaks several languages, including English, Spanish, Catalan, French, German, and Greek. He has lived and worked on five continents, and that global exposure shapes how he thinks about consumers and markets.
Ramon Laguarta’s Career at PepsiCo
Laguarta did not start at PepsiCo. Before 1996, he worked at Chupa Chups, a Spanish confectionery company, where he helped grow the business across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
He joined PepsiCo in 1996 and moved up through roles of growing responsibility. Here is the path in order:
- Early roles in the company’s European business
- Leadership of the acquisition and integration of PepsiCo’s dairy business in Russia
- President of PepsiCo’s Eastern Europe region
- CEO of the Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa sector, one of the most complex units in the company
- President of PepsiCo from September 2017
- CEO from October 3, 2018, taking over from Indra Nooyi
- Chairman of the Board from 2019
He became the sixth CEO in PepsiCo’s history. Every one of them was promoted from inside the company. That tells you something about how PepsiCo plans succession, and it shows why long tenure and deep company knowledge matter at the very top.
Ramon Laguarta’s Leadership Strategy
Laguarta’s plan centers on pep+, short for PepsiCo Positive. It is a company wide transformation that puts sustainability and people at the center of how PepsiCo grows. He frames the goal in three simple words: faster, stronger, and better.
His growth strategy rests on three pillars:
- Portfolio transformation: Offer more products with less sugar, less sodium, and fewer artificial ingredients, plus options with protein, whole grains, and vegetables.
- International expansion: Push harder into high growth developing markets.
- New consumption occasions: Be available everywhere, including meals, snacks, and away from home settings.
He also invests in the business behind the brands. That includes supply chain upgrades, better go to market systems, and digital tools such as AI platforms for sharper decisions. On culture, he introduced a set of leadership behaviors:
- Be consumer centric
- Act as owners
- Focus and get things done fast
- Include every voice
- Raise the bar on talent
- Celebrate success
- Act with integrity
Notice how practical this list is. Each behavior is easy to explain to a new hire, and each one can be measured in daily work.
Who Is Marillyn Hewson?
Marillyn Hewson is an American executive who spent nearly four decades at Lockheed Martin. She was born in Junction City, Kansas, and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Alabama, and she worked full time while studying to pay her way through school.
She became the first woman to lead Lockheed Martin. Fortune ranked her number one on its list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2018 and 2019, and Chief Executive magazine named her CEO of the Year in 2018.
Marillyn Hewson’s Professional Background
Hewson started her career as an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 1983, she joined Lockheed Martin as an industrial engineer. From there, she took on roles across operations, supply chain, and business units.
Her path included these major steps:
- President and General Manager of Kelly Aviation Center
- Executive Vice President of Global Sustainment for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
- President of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration
- Executive Vice President of the Electronic Systems business area
- President and Chief Operating Officer in late 2012
- CEO from January 2013, and Chairman about a year later
Her appointment came at a delicate moment. Her predecessor in the CEO seat, Christopher Kubasik, had resigned over ethics concerns, so the board needed steady and trusted leadership. Hewson stepped down as CEO in June 2020, and James Taiclet succeeded her. She stayed on as Executive Chairman until March 2021.
Since then, she has joined major boards, including Chevron and Johnson & Johnson, and she has stayed active in education, workforce development, and national security discussions.
Marillyn Hewson’s Approach to Business Leadership
Hewson’s leadership was built on operational discipline, long range planning, and strong relationships with customers, including governments. Under her leadership, Lockheed Martin’s stock price rose by nearly 400 percent, and the company set new records in sales and earnings.
Key moves during her tenure include:
- Growth through acquisition: In 2015, Lockheed Martin bought Sikorsky Aircraft, which added helicopter capability to the company.
- Major programs: The company continued to build and expand flagship platforms such as the F-35 fighter jet.
- International growth: She pushed to win more business from allies around the world.
- Talent and workforce: She supported STEM education and served on a U.S. government workforce advisory board.
- Ethics and integrity: She kept compliance and ethical conduct at the center of how the company operated.
Her style was calm, structured, and focused on execution. That fits an industry where programs run for decades and a single error can cost billions.
Ramon Laguarta and Marillyn Hewson: Key Differences
Both leaders reached the top through internal promotion, but their working environments could hardly be more different. One sells products to millions of shoppers every day. The other builds complex systems for governments.
Leadership Across Two Industries
PepsiCo sells drinks and snacks to everyday consumers. Taste, price, and habits shift fast, so Laguarta has to read trends quickly and respond to them. His job is to keep brands relevant to people in markets around the world.
Lockheed Martin sells advanced technology to a small group of powerful customers, mostly governments. Contracts are large, rules are strict, and timelines are long. Hewson had to manage regulation, politics, and engineering at the same time.
Here is how the two environments compare:
- Customers: Millions of consumers versus a limited number of government buyers
- Speed of change: Fast consumer trends versus slow, multi year program cycles
- Main risk: Losing brand relevance versus losing a major contract or missing a delivery
- Public pressure: Health, packaging, and sustainability versus defense policy and budgets
Business Strategy and Long-Term Growth
Laguarta’s growth story is about transformation. He is reshaping what PepsiCo sells, where it sells, and how it builds its brands, while tying sustainability to profit. His bet is that healthier options and global reach will drive the next decade of growth.
Hewson’s growth story is about scale and consistency. She strengthened the company’s position in its core programs, expanded abroad, and added capabilities through acquisition. Her bet was that deep technical strength and trusted customer relationships would compound over time.
In simple terms, Laguarta reshapes a portfolio to meet changing tastes, while Hewson built on a portfolio of proven, mission critical programs.
Leadership Lessons from Ramon Laguarta and Marillyn Hewson
Despite their differences, both executives teach lessons that apply well beyond big companies.
The Value of Experience and Career Development
Neither leader jumped straight to the top. Laguarta spent more than two decades inside PepsiCo, with posts in several regions. Hewson spent about 37 years at Lockheed Martin, moving across operations, supply chain, and business units.
What you can take from this:
- Rotate through different roles to see the whole business.
- Learn how money flows through the company, not just your own function.
- Volunteer for difficult assignments, since they build credibility fast.
- Keep learning, as both leaders invested in advanced education.
Adapting to Industry Changes
Laguarta responded to shifting consumer tastes and growing concern about sugar, packaging, and climate. He changed the portfolio and set sustainability goals rather than waiting for pressure to build.
Hewson adapted to a defense market shaped by new technologies, cybersecurity threats, and global competition. She expanded capabilities through acquisition and focused on international growth.
The shared lesson is simple. Watch the forces shaping your industry, and move before you are forced to.
Building Effective Teams
Both leaders put people first. Laguarta’s behaviors, such as including every voice and raising the bar on talent, make teamwork part of daily routines. Hewson focused on talent pipelines and workforce development, including support for STEM education.
Practical steps for any team leader:
- Write down the behaviors you expect, and keep the list short.
- Hire for skills that fill gaps, and promote people who grow.
- Give clear goals, then let capable people do their work.
- Celebrate wins, so good habits spread.
What Business Owners Can Learn from Their Careers
You do not need a global brand to use these ideas. Small and mid sized business owners can apply them right away.
- Define a clear strategy in plain language. Laguarta’s three pillars are easy to remember. A strategy that people can repeat is a strategy that gets used.
- Make culture specific. Replace vague values with observable behaviors.
- Invest in the foundation. Both leaders strengthened systems, supply chains, and technology, not only marketing and sales.
- Grow through smart acquisitions. Hewson’s Sikorsky deal shows how buying a capability can speed up growth, as long as the fit is strong.
- Protect trust. Ethics and transparency took center stage when Hewson became CEO, and they remain key to long term reputation.
- Plan succession early. PepsiCo’s board used a structured process, and that helped the 2018 handover go smoothly.
- Keep learning. Both leaders built wide experience before they took the top role.
If you run a small company, start with one change this month. Write your three strategic priorities and share them with your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ramon Laguarta?
Ramon Laguarta is the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. He joined the company in 1996 and became CEO in October 2018.
Who is Marillyn Hewson?
Marillyn Hewson is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Lockheed Martin. She led the company from 2013 to 2020 and now serves on corporate boards.
Is Ramon Laguarta still the CEO of PepsiCo?
Yes. As of October 2026, he remains Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.
Is Marillyn Hewson still the CEO of Lockheed Martin?
No. She stepped down as CEO in June 2020, and James Taiclet took over. She served as Executive Chairman until March 2021.
What is PepsiCo’s pep+ strategy?
Pep+ is PepsiCo’s transformation plan that puts sustainability and people at the center of growth. It covers healthier products, better packaging, and climate action.
What did Marillyn Hewson achieve at Lockheed Martin?
She grew the company’s sales, earnings, and stock value, and she led the 2015 Sikorsky acquisition. Lockheed’s stock rose by nearly 400 percent during her time as CEO.
What boards does Marillyn Hewson serve on?
She serves on the boards of Chevron and Johnson & Johnson. She also supports education and workforce programs.
What is the main difference between their leadership styles?
Laguarta focuses on transforming a consumer portfolio to match changing tastes. Hewson focused on scaling and strengthening mission critical programs for government customers.
What can business owners learn from both leaders?
Build experience across roles, set a clear strategy, adapt early to change, and invest in your team. Protect trust above all.
Conclusion
Ramon Laguarta and Marillyn Hewson took different roads to leadership, yet their stories point to the same truth: lasting success comes from deep experience, clear strategy, and a strong team. Laguarta shows how to reinvent a global consumer business while keeping sustainability close to profit. Hewson shows how steady execution, smart acquisitions, and integrity can build lasting value in a demanding industry.
Take one idea from each. Learn your business from the inside, and plan for change before it arrives. Then write down your priorities and share them with your team. That small step is where both of these careers started.
Daniel Wilson is the admin of Meaning Lexi, a website focused on the meanings of words, names, phrases, and symbols. He is dedicated to providing clear, accurate, and easy-to-understand content for readers.
