The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, announced management and organizational changes related to Coca-Cola Americas in order to accelerate growth.
Following the reorganization of the company’s operating structure last year, The Coca-Cola Co. is taking further action to streamline its focus and expedite its refranchising to independent bottling partners. Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the integrated North America business will be segmented into a traditional company and bottler operating model that will better suit the unique needs of the North American market, the company says. It will consist of two operating units: Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) and Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR).
As a result, the following leadership changes will take place:
• CCNA will be led by J. A. M. “Sandy” Douglas, as group president, reporting to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent. Douglas also will continue his role as global chief customer officer. In this role, the North America Brands, Foodservice, Brand Commercial, Retail Sales, Research & Development, Venturing and Emerging Brands, Strategy, and Franchise Leadership and Transformation divisions as well as the Canadian franchise operations will report to Douglas.
• CCR, the bottling operations of North America, will be led by Paul Mulligan, as president. CCR will become part of the Bottling Investments Group (BIG), and Mulligan will report to Irial Finan, president of BIG. Mulligan currently is head of commercial for BIG and region director responsible for Japanese and Latin American BIG operations. In his new role, CCR Canada, Product Supply Chain and Service, Bottler Commercial, Customer Care and Region Sales will report to Mulligan.
• The North America Enabling Functions will continue to support both CCNA and CCR.
• Steve Cahillane, president of Coca-Cola Americas, has decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.
• The Coca-Cola Americas operating structure will cease to exist. The Latin America Group, led by Group President Brian Smith, will become part of Coca-Cola International. Smith will report to Ahmet Bozer, president of Coca-Cola International.
“Today’s announcement represents the next step in the evolution of the business announced last year when the company consolidated leadership of its global operations under the Bottling Investments Group, Coca-Cola International, and Coca-Cola Americas,” Kent said in a statement. “We organized the business to intensify focus on key markets, streamline reporting lines, and provide flexibility to adjust the business within these geographies in the future.
“Now, we are in a position to leverage this flexibility to return to a traditional company and bottling operating model in North America, which will enhance our focus on execution and accelerate the refranchising of our bottling system in our flagship market,” he concluded.
