Donald Kendall, the former PepsiCo CEO who turned the company into one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies has died at the age of 99.

The executive held his position at the New York-based manufacturer for 23 years after first starting at the bottling plant in 1947.

PepsiCo confirmed Mr Kendall’s passing with a memorial page on their official website on Saturday, 19th September.

The following tribute read: “Under Kendall’s direction, PepsiCo became one of the world’s largest consumer products companies and elevated some of the world’s best-selling food and beverage brands to iconic status,” the company said.

“During his tenure as CEO, revenues increased almost 40-fold, from $200 million to $7.6 billion.”

Current PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon L. Laguarta also paid tribute, describing Mr Kendall as a “tremendous friend and mentor”.

“He was relentless about growing our business, a fearless leader, and the ultimate salesman,” he wrote. “He believed in business as a way to build bridges between cultures, laying the foundation of our commitment to Winning with Purpose and defining the values that we refer to today as The PepsiCo Way.

“In many ways, he was the man who made PepsiCo, PepsiCo.”

Born in Washington in 1921, the former CEO grew up milking cows his family owned dairy farm before becoming chief executive in 1963.

During his career, Mr Kendall introduced PespiCo to China and to the Soviet Union resulting in sales increasing by nearly 40-fold.

The company also formerly owned fast-food chains Taco Bell, Kentucky Fred Chicken and Pizza Hut, which helped promote the soft drink.