DUBLIN, OHIO — Wendy’s has named Kirk Tanner as its president and chief executive officer. Tanner succeeds Todd Penegor, who has been president and CEO for the past seven years.

Tanner joins the company from PepsiCo, Inc., where he most recently was CEO for PepsiCo Beverages North America for five years. He was with PepsiCo for 32 years.

“We are thrilled to welcome an executive of Kirk’s caliber to the Wendy’s team,” said Nelson Peltz, chairman of the Wendy’s board. “Kirk is a proven operational leader whose customer-centric mindset and broad experience positioning and growing some of the most well-known global brands make him the ideal candidate to lead Wendy’s into its next phase of growth and expansion.”

Most recently, Penegor was president and chief financial officer for Wendy’s and previously executive vice president chief financial officer and international for the company.

Before his time with Wendy’s, Penegor was previously president at Kellogg’s Snacks.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Todd for his tremendous contributions to Wendy’s over the years,” Peltz said. “Through his leadership, Wendy’s has driven strong growth in sales, earnings and new restaurant counts, forging an industry-leading partnership with the franchise community and a robust digital business. We wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter.”

PepsiCo has elevated Ram Krishnan, who is succeeding Tanner, from CEO of international beverage and chief commercial officer to CEO of PepsiCo Beverages North America.

Krishnan joined PepsiCo in 2006 as director of marketing and has held several leadership positions. Before he was CEO of international beverage and chief commercial officer, he was CEO Asia Pacific and previously senior vice president and general manager of PepsiCo’s global Walmart customer team.

Before his tenure with PepsiCo, Krishnan was a marketing manager at Cadillac and spent six years there.

“Ram is the ideal leader to take the helm of our North America beverage business and we are fortunate to be able to proudly appoint him from within our organization,” said Ramon Laguarta, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. “His vast experience leading International Beverages and our global commercial agenda, paired with his roots in North America senior executive roles, make him a force to accelerate our beverage growth agenda. He is an innovator at heart who keeps people at the core of every decision, and I look forward to seeing his inspirational leadership in action.”