Head of ABC\'s \'This Week\' Is Leaving to Join PepsiCo

By AMY CHOZICK

ABC News will cover this presidential campaign without one of its veteran journalists. Jon Banner, executive producer of George Stephanopoulos's Sunday morning public affairs show “This Week,” will leave ABC News for a job at PepsiCo.

Mr. Banner, 44, the recipient of 15 Emmy awards, has spent more than half his life at ABC News. A long-time producer on “ABC World News,” Mr. Banner took over “This Week” last December. His leadership helped move “This Week” from among the lowest-rated of the major networks' Sunday shows to a No. 2 ranking behind NBC's “Meet the Press” on many weekends.

At PepsiCo, Mr. Banner will serve as senior vice president of global strategy and planning, a position on the communications team of the giant consumer goods company. His last day at ABC News is Sunday and he said he planned to start at PepsiCo after Labor Day.

“Jon understands today's media landscape as well as a nyone and knows how to create smart communications strategies across all forms of media,” Jim Wilkinson, PepsiCo's executive vice president of communications, said in a statement.

In a memo to the staff, Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News, said Mr. Banner approached him about the new opportunity and said he couldn't pass it up. “I've known Jon since around the time we both started out in this business and I've always admired his competitive drive and valued his friendship,” Mr. Sherman said. “We will miss him mightily.”

Until ABC News names a successor, Marc Burstein, the channel's executive producer of special events, will lead “This Week.”

In an interview, Mr. Banner said the stories that stood out from his long career at ABC News include a 10-day trip to China with Diane Sawyer, coverage after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a quiet but reflective Thanksgiving weekend at Camp David toward the end of George W. Bush's presidency.

“As a journalist you're a highly attuned, objective storyteller,” Mr. Banner said. “This is a unique opportunity to take all that passion and fully engage with an iconic American company.”