Coca-Cola appoints James Quincey President and COO
The Coca-Cola Company has announced the appointment of veteran executive James Quincey as President and Chief Operations Officer, the global soft drinks producer has said in a press release copied to ghanabusinessnews.com.
According to the release Quincey’s appointment takes immediate effect.
In this position, Quincey will have responsibility for all of the Company’s operating units worldwide and he will report directly to Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent.
The 50-year-old Quincey, is a 19-year veteran of Coca-Cola. Since 2013 he has served as President of The Coca-Cola Company’s Europe Group, which comprises 38 countries, including the Member States of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association countries and the Balkans.
Under Quincey’s leadership, the Europe Group, the Company’s most profitable operating group, strategically expanded its brand portfolio and improved execution across the geography, the release said.
“These actions helped drive solid topline growth and expanded the Company’s leading market share position in total nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages despite the volatile and prolonged macroeconomic challenges in the region,” it adds.
Before he served as head of the Europe Group, Quincey served as President of the Northwest Europe & Nordics Business Unit from 2008 to 2012. Among his many accomplishments during this time was his leadership of the acquisition of Innocent Juice in 2009. Innocent is now sold in more than 14 countries.
From 2005 to 2008, Quincey was President of the Mexico Division. During his tenure in Mexico, Quincey grew market share for brand Coca-Cola and expanded the Company’s portfolio with the re-launch of Coca-Cola Zero and the acquisition of Jugos de Valle, one of the Company’s 20 brands that generate more than a billion dollars in annual revenue, and which is now sold in 16 countries.
Quincey joined the Company in Atlanta in 1996 as Director, Learning Strategy for the Latin America Group, and went on to serve in a series of operational roles of increased responsibility in Latin America, leading to his appointment as President of the South Latin Division in 2003. During his time in South Latin, Quincey was instrumental in developing and executing a successful brand, pack, price and channel strategy, which has now been replicated in various forms throughout Coca-Cola’s global system.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi