The Coca-Cola Company Announces Senior Leadership Succession Plan
Coca-Cola Company veteran James Quincey (pictured left), currently President and Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Muhtar Kent (pictured right) as CEO on May 1, 2017. Muhtar Kent will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“Managing The Coca-Cola Company to ensure our long-term growth requires a thoughtful and orderly succession planning process,” says Muhtar Kent. “I have been engaged with our Management Development Committee and the full Board on talent development and succession discussions throughout my tenure as CEO. We are certain that James Quincey is prepared for these new responsibilities and is the absolute right choice to lead our company and system into the future.”
“One of our Board’s key priorities is developing the next generation of leaders and James is a perfect example of our talent pipeline in action,” adds Kent. “Having worked closely with James during the past 10 years of his 20-year career with our company, I know that his vast industry knowledge, expertise with our brands, values and system, coupled with an acute understanding of evolving consumer tastes, make him the ideal candidate to effectively lead our company and bottling system. James has the strategic vision and inspirational leadership to usher in the next phase of growth for our great business.”
Quincey was named The Coca-Cola Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer in August 2015. Earlier this year, he put in place a new international operating structure and leadership team to make the company more efficient and effective at the local levels, helping our operating units become faster and more agile. Throughout his career at Coca-Cola, Quincey has shown leadership in addressing consumer changes by expanding product offerings, introducing smaller package sizes, and most recently, driving systematic portfolio reformulation to reduce added sugar with over 200 initiatives in progress.
Prior to this role, Quincey served as President of The Coca-Cola Company’s Europe Group. Under his leadership, the Europe Group was the company’s most profitable operating group as it strategically expanded its brand portfolio and improved execution across the geography.
