Zein Abdalla in Board of Directors of Cognizant

Global IT services firm Cognizant has elected Zein Abdalla to its Board of Directors.

Zein Abdalla (57) was most recently President of PepsiCo, from September 2012 through his retirement in December 2014. Prior to his role with the global food, snack and beverage company, Abdalla served as Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Europe, a division of PepsiCo, starting in November 2009. He previously held a variety of senior positions at PepsiCo since he joined that company in 1995, including as General Manager of PepsiCo's European Beverage Business, General Manager of Tropicana Europe and Franchise Vice President for Pakistan and the Gulf region. Abdalla received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London University.

At Cognizant, Abdalla has been added to the firm’s Board of Directors, in an appointment that runs until the Company's annual stockholders' meeting in 2016. The experienced executive will also serve on the Company's Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

“Zein is a highly qualified and experienced executive, a true global citizen who throughout his career has led and shaped large scale operations across the world. The global perspective he has gained building businesses across developed, developing and emerging markets will help shape Cognizant's future. We are pleased to welcome Zein to our Board of Directors," comments Francisco D'Souza, Cognizant Chief Executive Officer.