{{short description|American businessman (born 1950)}} {{Infobox person | name = Christopher A. Sinclair | image = ChristopherSinclair.jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|09|05}} | birth_place = Hong Kong | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | other_names = | education = Vermont Academy (1967) <REF NAME="VERMONTACADEMY"/> <br />University of Kansas (B.A., Marketing, 1971) <REF NAME="VERMONTACADEMY">{{cite web|url=https://www.vermontacademy.org/list-detail?pk=173933|title=Chris Sinclair, 1967 Business Leader|website=Vermontacademy.org|access-date=March 6, 2022}}</ref><br /> Dartmouth College (MBA, 1973) | occupation = Chairman, Reckitt<br />Former CEO, Mattel | known_for = | party = | boards = Foot Locker 1995-2008<br />Mattel 1996-2018<br />PepsiCo 1996-1996<br />Perdue Farms 1992-2000<br />Reckitt 2015-present | spouse = Margaret | partner = | children = 3 | parents = | relatives = | website = | signature = }}

'''Christopher A. Sinclair''' (born September 5, 1950) is an American businessman. He is the chairman of Reckitt. He is the former chairman and CEO of Mattel. Previously, he was chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.

==Background== Sinclair was born in Hong Kong, and spent his childhood in Mumbai, India, and was educated at the Kodaikanal International School followed by four years at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont.<ref name=tnn>{{cite news|last1=Rai|first1=Asha|title=India is familiar territory for Chris Sinclair|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/372265.cms|access-date=February 18, 2016|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=Dec 21, 2003}}</ref> Sinclair's father was president of Esso Oil (now ExxonMobil)'s international operations.

Chris Sinclair graduated ''summa cum laude'' from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in marketing, and he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. Sinclair went on to receive an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 1973.

==Business career== Sinclair began his career at General Foods and Newsweek, before spending more than 15 years at PepsiCo. In 1989, he was promoted from Pepsi USA's central division president to president of newly formed Pepsi-Cola International.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pepsi-Cola Sets Shift Overseas|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/28/business/pepsi-cola-sets-shift-overseas.html|access-date=February 18, 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=September 28, 1989}}</ref> Sinclair was promoted to CEO of PepsiCo Foods and Beverages International in 1993, and ultimately to chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. He was a member of the PepsiCo board of directors.

Sinclair directed Pepsi's entry into the Indian market, and recruited Pepsi's former CEO Indra Nooyi.<ref name=tnn/> As an example of his ambition, Sinclair told Fortune magazine in 1994, "If Coke starts growing 8%, we'll do 10% or 12%."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985052-1,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930110150/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985052-1,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2007|title=PARCHED FOR GROWTH|first=Bill|last=Saporito|date=2 September 1996|publisher=|access-date=24 May 2018|website=Time}}</ref> Sinclair predicted non-U.S. cola sales of $5 billion by 1995, and exceeded his goal. He retired from PepsiCo in 1996.

Since his tenure at PepsiCo, Sinclair has been CEO of QFC<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sec.edgar-online.com/1997/02/20/00/0000912057-97-006336/Section15.asp |title=QUALITY FOOD CENTERS INC Unscheduled Material Events (8-K/A) EXHIBIT 99.9 |access-date=2006-07-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105114734/http://sec.edgar-online.com/1997/02/20/00/0000912057-97-006336/Section15.asp |archive-date=2006-11-05 }}</ref> (NYSE), a US west coast supermarket chain backed by billionaire Samuel Zell's Equity Group. After 18-months, Quality Food expanded rapidly and was sold to Fred Meyer, for $1.7 billion in 1998.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fred Meyer To Buy QFC -- Chain With National Plans Is Sold Instead|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19971107/2570906/fred-meyer-to-buy-qfc----chain-with-national-plans-is-sold-instead|access-date=May 18, 2018|work=Seattle Times|date=November 7, 1997}}</ref> Sinclair helped orchestrate the deal and was a large shareholder. Fred Meyer is now owned by Kroger/<ref>{{cite news|title=Kroger to Buy Fred Meyer, Creating Country's Biggest Grocer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/20/business/kroger-to-buy-fred-meyer-creating-country-s-biggest-grocer.html|access-date=May 18, 2018|newspaper=New York Times|date=October 20, 1998}}</ref>

Sinclair led the financial restructuring of Caribiner International (now Jack Morton Worldwide) as chairman and CEO of this Warburg Pincus-sponsored global business communications company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1005015/000088981200002125/0000889812-00-002125.txt|format=TXT|title=CARIBINER INTERNATIONAL INC|website=Sec.gov|access-date=March 6, 2022}}</ref> He has served as a partner at Pegasus Capital Advisors, and an operating partner at Morgan Joseph TriArtisan, a New York based merchant bank. He was the executive chairman and CEO of Cambridge Solutions Ltd, the second-largest BPO/IT company in the world, which was sold in 2008 to Xchanging, a General Atlantic-backed business services company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Xchanging Buys 75% In Cambridge For $147.3 Million|url=https://www.vccircle.com/xchanging-buys-75-cambridge-1473-million/|access-date=May 18, 2018|website=Vccircle.com|date=October 5, 2008}}</ref>

Sinclair served as chairman of Mattel from January 2015 to May 2018, and as CEO from January 2015 to February 2017.<ref name="Mattel">{{cite news|title=Mattel Names Christopher Sinclair as Chief Executive Officer|url=https://mattel.gcs-web.com/static-files/a89146d5-0ec8-4e58-97d1-9709cec91862|access-date=May 18, 2018|website=Mattel.gcs-web.com|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Mattel Names Ynon Kreiz As Chief Executive Officer, Effective April 26, 2018|url=https://news.mattel.com/news/mattel-names-ynon-kreiz-as-chief-executive-officer-effective-april-26-20182|access-date=May 18, 2018|website=Mattel.com|date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2018, he became the non-executive chairman of Reckitt, the maker of Lysol, having served as a director since February 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reckitt Benckiser chairman to retire in 2018|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-reckitt-benc-grp-chairman/reckitt-benckiser-chairman-to-retire-in-2018-idUSKCN1BU0P0|access-date=May 18, 2018|website=Reuters|date=September 19, 2017}}</ref>

He is a former director of Foot Locker, FW Woolworth Company, Merisant (Equal Sugar), PepsiCo and Perdue Farms<ref name="Mattel"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footlocker-inc.com/pdf/2007/AnnualReport2007.pdf|title=Foot Locker 2007 Annual Report|website=Footlocker-inc.com|access-date=March 6, 2022}}</ref> He has served as a trustee at Brunswick School, Vermont Academy, on the board of overseers at the Tuck School of Business.

==Personal== Sinclair, and his wife Margaret, reside in Greenwich, Connecticut and Palm Beach, Florida.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/national/midtown-vacant-lot-sells-for-million/HBQG81HwMOklGHXYbch8JK/|title=Midtown vacant lot sells for $8.7 million|website=Palmbeachdailynews.com|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> Margaret is the former president of the Breast Cancer Alliance.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://breastcanceralliance.org/advisory-council/ |title=Advisory Council - Breast Cancer Alliance |access-date=2018-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519121451/http://breastcanceralliance.org/advisory-council/ |archive-date=2018-05-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2019285.cms Nooyi was wooed in style, reveals Chris Sinclair] * [http://64.45.24.136/newsroom/comfiles/20040406-emerge.pdf#search=%22Christopher%20Sinclair%2C%20emerge%22 eMerge Names Christopher A. Sinclair, Former Chairman and CEO of the Pepsi-Cola Company, To Its Board of Directors ] * [https://archive.today/20130123081626/http://www.forbes.com/realestate/2005/02/18/cx_sc_0218movers_ls.html Forbes Real Estate - Movers & Shakers: Chris Sinclair Buys New Palm Beach Estate] * [http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=608024&privcapId=7690731&previousCapId=31197&previousTitle=MATTEL%20INC BusinessWeek Profile - Christopher A. Sinclair]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} * [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1896338.cms PepsiCo CEO Gotta Fill In Pretty BIG shoes] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071231022132/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1994/08/08/79607/index.htm Christopher Sinclair - Pepsi FORTUNE] * [https://books.google.com/books?id=vsq5ZpQy028C&pg=PA90 Prominent Tuck Alumni - Christopher Sinclair] * [http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/pressmention/display/7959 Palm Beach Volk home sold to Christopher Sinclair]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinclair, Christopher A.}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Hong Kong emigrants to the United States Category:American businesspeople in the drink industry Category:American chief executives in the food industry Category:American philanthropists Category:Businesspeople from Greenwich, Connecticut Category:Businesspeople from Palm Beach, Florida Category:University of Kansas alumni Category:Kodaikanal International School alumni Category:Tuck School of Business alumni Category:PepsiCo people Category:Mattel people Category:American chief executives in the manufacturing industry Category:Vermont Academy alumni Category:Reckitt people