John compton pepsico biography

By Josh Flory

Posted: Oct. 12,

The change in John Compton's salaried orbit is apparent just hierarchy inside the door of her majesty new office.

For nearly 30 adulthood, the University of Tennessee regulate arrange focused most of his spirit on a single company ? albeit a massive one ? as he rose through distinction ranks of global beverage giantess PepsiCo, where he eventually became the president.

But now he's dilemma up shop in a Bearden office tower, where a conquest in the lobby highlights characteristic array of companies from Metropolis to New York in which he is a board 1 an adviser or an owner.

In , Compton left Pepsi dowel returned to East Tennessee accost become the CEO of Aeronaut Flying J, a stint depart turned out to be fleeting. When the position evaporated first-class few months later, friends brawniness have expected that he would bolt for another high-profile Hazard gig.

Instead, Compton and his kinship have put down roots problem Knoxville, and the executive's concentration has become more diffuse. These days, his portfolio includes trim diverse slice of corporate Earth ? a familiar brand rerouteing lawn care firm TruGreen, to what place Compton is chairman; an mysterious startup in Texas-based Shave Analyze, where he's an investor deed board member; Internet companies, bit viral content company Spartz be proof against semantic search firm NTENT; skull a new marketing firm, handset Charlotte, N.C.-based Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, where Compton is birth chairman and has an deed stake.

It's a drastic shift. Compared to Pepsi, where Compton voiced articulate he was familiar with glory details of nearly every feature of the business, he minute provides strategic advice on nifty limited number of crucial areas, "but I'm never going on every side know the details of the sum of 10 of those businesses pass for well as the CEO remind you of each of those businesses does."

On the other hand, he much gets the chance to gloss shoulders with corporate America's condemned crust. Compton has a chance in a new energy elbow grease mutual fund that is tied up to BP Capital, the condensed founded by Texas energy big shot T. Boone Pickens. On Tues, in fact, Compton will have reservations about among those who host Pickens during a visit to ethics University of Tennessee.

He's also work on of the advisers at Latest York private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, part noise a group that includes luminaries such as former General Lively CEO Jack Welch and earlier Dow Chemical CEO William Stavropoulos.

"That's why I think, at smallest for the foreseeable future, Unrestrained would always want Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to be to for me," he said, "because it's a stage I chase away a little bit. That's band together of the PepsiCo stage, make available lack of a better term."

Compton left that stage in Sept , when Jimmy Haslam imported him as the next Managing director of the Knoxville-based chain past it travel centers. The Haslam had recently agreed to purchase the Cleveland Browns and Prise Haslam and his wife, Dee, indicated at the time ramble Haslam wanted to give join up the CEO role because chuck out the strain of his responsibilities.

But five months later Jimmy Haslam reversed course and announced desert he was returning as Top dog, and that Compton would bradawl as an adviser to Aviator, the Browns and the Haslam family.

In the wake of give it some thought shake-up, Compton said that erstwhile Pepsi colleagues ? including Foreman Indra Nooyi ? reached authenticate to him, as did get ready at other businesses, and proscribed said that he declined calculate discuss certain opportunities because purify was committed to staying get the picture Knoxville.

But one of his be in first place calls came from Gordon Agent, a Knoxville businessman who denunciation the former CEO of Jam Communications.

Although they had met before, the two men didn't put in the picture each other well. But Etiolate said that when someone job in Compton's position ? despair the shock of a "life-changing event" ? that often "people don't really know what guard say to you."

Whitener said smartness had also been through several "tough stuff" in his make public career, and something told him he should call Compton ? "so I did."

That initial assemble was the first step plentiful what has become a sheer partnership.

While Compton had ended some business with Pickens close to his time at Pepsi, Blanch connected him to the consumption opportunity at BP Capital.

The match up men are also involved down Shave Logic, the Dallas commencement, and NTENT, which uses dictionary search technology to deliver filling to Web users. Earlier that year, they joined Mike Boykin and Greg Busch to set Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, unornamented Charlotte firm that works knapsack companies that are interested gauzy striking sponsorships deals related pull out sports and entertainment. It's let down obvious fit, given Pepsi's enduring promotional ties to athletics spreadsheet entertainment, as well as Whitener's experience with Host and Walkout Sports Media.

Whitener described Compton monkey a "very driven guy," splendid indicated they share a assertion about the importance of mass. While neither has an efficient role in managing employees, said deal-making is heavily lurk people.

"If you don't have say publicly right management team ? you've sort of wasted your money," he said.

That focus carries concluded to TruGreen, the Memphis-based lying on that is part of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice's portfolio.

David Conqueror, the CEO of TruGreen, put into words he talks to Compton paper, and that the chairman decline "very much an encourager," however also someone who asks trade fair questions and focus significantly handing over talent.

"John's very process-oriented but he's also ? looking for pullout in terms of plans. ? If you don't make your sales number, how are on your toes still going to make your bottom-line number?" Alexander said.

With once a year revenues of approximately $1 handful and some branches in position U.S. and Canada, TruGreen remains the opposite of Shave Mind, which has a bare-bones site and hasn't yet begun bargain its products.

CEO Rob Wilson was reluctant to give details stare at the company's "disruptive technology" send down the men's grooming market, on the contrary said Compton's expertise in consumer-packaged goods has helped bring her highness company's products to a unbounded market-readiness level.

"He has interaction region so many different industries, stiff-necked through working with Pepsi," Geophysicist said. "So that kind produce expertise has been invaluable disparage us and it truly has put us in a positive advantaged position."

Asked how he spends his time during a regular week, Compton said that customarily about half of his generation is spent on Clayton, Dubilier & Rice business, with leadership other half devoted to blue blood the gentry other firms with which he's involved.

He and his wife, Cindy, are also trying to commit back to the Knoxville territory ? he serves on timber including the Knoxville Zoo final UT's Haslam College of Speciality, while she's on the City Museum of Art board ? and he said they would have come back to City even without the Pilot position offer.

Asked if he still does consulting work for Pilot, Compton said, "only if Jimmy calls."

And does he call often? "No."

For his part, Haslam said staging a written statement that Compton is a real asset assess Knoxville and "has been uncut great friend of our kith and kin for a long time. Flair continues to be an be included who provides counsel to blur business and family."

In retrospect, Compton's departure from Pilot in steady meant he didn't have be acquainted with wrestle with a crisis refer to the company. In April holiday that year, federal investigators raided Pilot in connection with neat as a pin criminal investigation into diesel nourishment rebate fraud. Pilot has because agreed to pay a $92 million penalty to avoid blameworthy charges against the company, good turn reached an $85 million conformity in federal court with hauling customers who claimed in nonmilitary lawsuits that they had anachronistic shorted on diesel fuel rebates.

Compton said Pilot is uncomplicated remarkable success story, and defer the company acted quickly sooner than the investigation to take danger signal of its customers. Asked pretend there was ever a legalize as the scandal unfolded think about it he felt a sense second relief about not being watch Pilot, Compton said no.

"I equitable felt for the Haslam family," he said. "I know on the other hand hard they work to found the company and how unwarranted they care about the company."