• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, September 2, 2011

Interpublic Group has brought on a new member to its board of directors with major marketing credentials. Dawn Hudson, the former North American CEO of Pepsi-Cola, was elected to the ad holding company's board of directors, the company has confirmed.

IPG said that with Hudson's election, four out of the 10 members of the Interpublic Board are women, making it one of six Fortune 500 companies with a 40% or higher representation of women, based on analysis in the 2010 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors.

There has been speculation that Hudson could be a candidate to succeed current IPG CEO Michael Roth at some point. Roth is 65. Hudson, 54, is currently vice chairman of the Boston-based Parthenon Group, the business strategy consultancy, which she joined in 2009.

Hudson left the soft drinks and snack food marketing giant in 2008 after a major reorganization. She served 11 years at the company, including a stint as senior vice president and brand marketing at PepsiCo North American, before taking the CEO reins of the Pepsi-Cola North American division.

"While this is an incredibly exciting time to work in communications, it's also a period of immense change," stated Roth. "Interpublic will be well-served to have a true practitioner as part of our leadership team, someone who brings a deep understanding of how to connect consumers with brands and drive industry-leading innovation."

Hudson is credited with launching the popular "Joy of Cola" campaign in 1999 and guided Pepsi in its largest summer promotion ever, a tie-in with "Star Wars, Episode I - The Phantom Menace." She first joined PepsiCo in 1996 as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Frito-Lay.

Prior to her work at Pepsi and Frito-Lay, Hudson spent 13 years in the marketing and advertising sector, including stints at ad agency DMB&B and at ad holding company Omnicom Group.

She also served nine years on the board of the Ladies Professional Golf Association and as chairman, was credited with leading its global expansion strategy. Interestingly, there's an IPG connection to her work with LPGA. She was on the board and presumably had some input in the recruiting of former Initiative chief operating officer Carolyn Bivens to the LPGA as commissioner in 2005. After four controversial years in the position, Bivens resigned in 2009 after a number of LPGA members wrote a joint letter asking her to do so.

Hudson's other board positions include PF Chang's China Bistro, Lowe's Home Improvement Company and Allergan Inc. She has also been inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement.