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Keurig Dr Pepper Shuffles Execs, Creates New President of KDP Energy

Jan. 15, 2025
The moves come partly in response to a key executive departure, partly due to the company’s new interest in energy drinks.

Partly in response to a key executive departure, partly due to its new interest in energy drinks, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) made a handful of executive appointments this week, including the new title of president of KDP Energy.

Justin Whitmore, currently chief strategy officer, was tabbed to oversee KDP's energy brand portfolio, which ballooned with the October 2024 staged acquisition of Ghost Energy. He will manage marketing, sales, operations and integration, but will report to a new president of U.S. refreshment beverages.

That new president is Eric Gorli. He’s been with KDP since 2015 and has served in a number of roles, most recently as chief commercial officer. His elevation was effected by the expected Jan. 31 departure of Andrew Archambault, the current U.S. beverages president, who’s leaving to become president of Hershey’s U.S. confection business.

Gorli will oversee KDP's $9 billion liquid refreshment business, which includes the carbonated soft drinks, still beverages and energy portfolios in the U.S. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the beverage industry, including nearly two decades in roles within Coca-Cola Co.'s system across both bottling operations and Coca-Cola North America.

Sean Cronican was named chief customer officer. He’s been with the company since 2016, and earlier spent nearly 20 years at Abbott Nutrition.

Drew Panayiotou is new chief marketing officer. He just joined KDP this past November, but expands his responsibilities to include marketing for both U.S. refreshment beverages and U.S. coffee.

This week’s announcement noted, “the company is taking steps to seize the growth opportunity in the energy category. Through a series of brand and infrastructure investments over the last several years, KDP has significantly increased its category market share, and its energy portfolio now generates more than $1 billion in retail sales.” Ergo, Whitmore’s appointment to the new title.

KDP announced last October it was paying $990 million for a 60% stake, possibly $1.5 billion if it goes all in, in a staged acquisition of Ghost Energy, an eight-year-old “lifestyle sports nutrition business” anchored by Ghost Energy drink.


PHOTO AT TOP (from left): Eric Gorli, Sean Cronican, Drew Panayiotou

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.

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