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The company said it is creating a chief digital officer position to consolidate responsibility for digital strategy, data and operational excellence across the enterprise.

The Coca-Cola Company is reshaping its top leadership and operating structure ahead of a planned CEO transition.

It’s creating a new chief digital officer role, realigning commercial oversight and reorganizing key international markets as it looks to speed decision-making and technology adoption across the business. All changes take effect March 31.

As previously announced, Henrique Braun, currently executive vice president and chief operating officer, will become chief executive officer on that date. He will succeed James Quincey, who will step down as CEO and continue as executive chairman of the board.

Executive leadership changes at Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola said it designed its executive leadership moves to bring the organization closer to consumers while simplifying how it gets work done across its global system.

It said it’s creating a chief digital officer position to consolidate responsibility for digital strategy, data and operational excellence across the enterprise. Sedef Salingan Sahin will assume the new role and report to Braun. Sahin is currently president of the Eurasia and Middle East operating unit.

Sahin joined Coca-Cola in 2003. She has held senior leadership roles across multiple regions and functions, including marketing and category leadership. The company said she will lead the integration of its digital network and assess how it organizes digital teams across the enterprise to strengthen execution and simplify operations.

The digital strategy responsibilities that John Murphy currently oversees will transition to Sahin. Murphy is president and chief financial officer. He will remain president and CFO and continue overseeing:

  • Global strategy
  • Corporate development
  • Investor relations
  • Tax
  • Treasury
  • Audit
  • Accounting
  • Performance management
  • Enterprise services, including real estate

Coca-Cola also said customer and commercial leadership responsibilities will shift to Manuel “Manolo” Arroyo from Murphy. Arroyo is currently executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Arroyo will take on the expanded title of executive vice president and chief marketing and customer commercial officer. That consolidates marketing, customer strategy and commercial execution under a single leader.

New Coca-Cola market groupings

The company said it is creating two new market groupings that will report directly to Braun, aimed at increasing focus on high-growth regions across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Sanket Ray, president of the India and Southwest Asia operating unit, will oversee markets including India, Southwest Asia, Greater China and Mongolia, and Japan and South Korea, while continuing to lead the India and Southwest Asia unit.

Claudia Lorenzo, currently chief of staff to Quincey and a former president of the ASEAN and South Pacific operating unit, will become president of the Eurasia and Middle East operating unit. She will oversee Eurasia and the Middle East, ASEAN and South Pacific, and Africa markets.

Coca-Cola also named Robin Halpern as Braun’s incoming chief of staff. Halpern currently serves as vice president and head of investor relations and will support the leadership transition ahead of Braun’s move into the CEO role.

The company said it intends for the changes to better position Coca-Cola to respond to shifting market conditions while improving execution across its global operations.

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