[MLS] Major League Soccer's hiring of former PepsiCo marketing executive J. Russell Findlay as chief marketing officer for the league and commercial subsidiary Soccer United Marketing (SUM) represents the first time it has hired someone to oversee their marketing and branding programs in this position.

Findlay, an active soccer referee and player, is most notably a former marketing executive at PepsiCo, where he held many marketing positions.

He served as director of marketing for all soft drink innovation, director of marketing on brand Pepsi and was responsi ble for launching Diet Pepsi Max, vice president of field marketing for Pepsi Bottling Group and he helped launch and subsequently ran the $1 billion Sierra Mist brand and Mr. Green, SoBe’s first soft drink.

“I am pleased to welcome Russ Findlay to the MLS family,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “Russ has 20 years of strategic brand marketing and sales experience and brings to our League and sport a great passion for the game. His expertise in understanding consumers and knowing how to reach them is an excellent fit for our business.”

Most recently, Findlay was vice president of marketing for Town Sports International, the umbrella company for one of the largest global health club companies.