Top Biden staffer leaving to work for Pepsi

The office of Vice President Joe Biden announced today that his Deputy Chief of Staff Alan Hoffman will step down at the end of the month and take a top executive post at PepsiCo.

“For more than a decade, Alan has been my trusted advisor,” Biden said in a statement. “As chief of staff in my Senate office and deputy chief of staff in the White House, Alan has managed a diverse staff with tremendous leadership, keen intellect, and unwavering loyalty. From his commitment to strengthening our nation’s law enforcement, to his tireless advocacy on behalf of the labor community and building a strong middle class, he has always set the highest standard for public service. Alan has my complete respect and admiration, and I’m deeply in his debt for his contributions. I wish Alan all the best. His wisdom, experience, and passion will be greatly missed.”

Hoffman has been Biden’s number two staffer since the beginning of the Obama administration, first under Chief of Staff Ron Klein and then under current Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, the former executive director of President Barack Obama‘s commission on fiscal responsibility.

PepsiCo said in a press release that Hoffman will be their new vice president for global public policy and government affairs, effective Nov. 26.

“Alan is a proven leader who brings tremendous experience and expertise to PepsiCo,” said Larry Thompson, executive vice president, government affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary of PepsiCo, in a release. “Alan is well-versed in a wide range of public policy issues and widely respected across all levels of government, and we look forward to benefiting from his leadership.”

Hoffman served as chief of staff to Senator Biden from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2008. He was also senior presidential campaign advisor and chief operating officer to Vice President Biden during the transition following the 2008 presidential election. Hoffman previously served as senior vice president for external relations for the University of California, as a partner at Timmons & Company, a Washington, D.C. government relations and consulting firm, and as vice president for external relations at the RAND Corporation. Earlier in his career, Hoffman served in the Clinton White House working on health policy issues and as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia.

Biden’s office said no replacement for Hoffman has yet been chosen.