Andrall E. Pearson, 80; Headed Parent Firm of Pizza Hut, Other Chains

Andrall E. Pearson, 80, founding chairman of the parent company of Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell, died Saturday after suffering a heart attack at his home in Palm Beach, Fla., the firm said Monday. He was 80.

Pearson was president of PepsiCo and became founding chairman of Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. when it spun off from PepsiCo in 1997. After the acquisition of Long John Silver’s and A&W; All-American Food Restaurants in 2002, Tricon changed its name to Yum Brands Inc.

Pearson was chairman and chief executive of the company until 2000, when Vice Chairman and President David Novak succeeded him. Pearson remained on Yum’s board, and was scheduled to step down in May, the company said in a statement.

A native of Chicago, Pearson graduated from USC before enlisting in the Navy, in which he served for three years.

He also taught at Harvard’s graduate school of business from 1985 to 1993.