Gatorade Exec Leaves PepsiCo

Could the departure of Sarah Robb O'Hagan, head of Gatorade under PepsiCo, have something to do with the recent slew of bad press against sports drinks?

O'Hagan will be leaving her post as the president of Gatorade for new opportunities, reports the Wall Street Journal. And as she leaves, Debra Crew will become the company's president of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, the division that oversees any noncarbonated drinks. 

The announcement comes as PepsiCo tries to strengthen its Gatorade and Tropicana brands, reports Businessweek. Gatorade currently sits as the market leader, thanks to O'Hagan's strategy to target high school athletes.

However, other Gatorade-branded products have been slumping. While the Energy Chews and its newest protein drink have been selling well, Gatorade recently pulled its "G Series Fit" line of drinks off shelves. The low-cal version of Gatorade, which was aimed at gym rats, will be relaunched in 2014 after improvements. The curious case of sports drinks continues to mystify, but it seems Gatorade won't be off the market anytime soon. 

(Photo Modified: Flickr/MikeMozart)