Henrique Braun to turn into the subsequent CEO of The Coca-Cola Firm.
Courtesy: The Coca-Cola Firm
Coca-Cola Chief Working Officer Henrique Braun will succeed James Quincey as CEO subsequent 12 months, the corporate mentioned Wednesday, as Coke and its rivals navigate tepid client demand for gentle drinks.
The change will take impact on March 31, and Braun will probably be nominated to the corporate’s board of administrators, Coca-Cola mentioned. Quincey will keep on with the corporate as government chairman of its board.
Quincey, 60, has held the highest job on the beverage big since 2017. Throughout that point, he oversaw the refranchising of Coke’s bottling system, the corporate’s technique by means of the Covid pandemic and its deal with drinks perceived as more healthy.
Braun, 57, has held varied roles at Coke since becoming a member of the corporate in 1996, the identical 12 months that Quincey joined. Braun grew to become COO initially of the 12 months.
In a launch, Coca-Cola mentioned Braun will deal with figuring out new development alternatives world wide, higher filling client wants and enhancing the corporate’s know-how.
James Quincey, Coca-Cola CEO, talking on CNBC’s Squawk Field exterior the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22, 2025.
Gerry Miller | CNBC
The management change comes because the beverage firm tries to reverse slower demand for its sodas, which nonetheless account for a big quantity of its international gross sales. In Coke’s third-quarter, international unit case quantity — which strips out pricing and overseas forex adjustments — rose 1% after falling within the earlier three-month interval.
Quincey has mentioned lower-income customers have purchased fewer of its drinks, and the corporate has rolled out cheaper and smaller variations of its merchandise to attempt to reverse the development. Nevertheless, pricier manufacturers like Smartwater and Fairlife have carried out higher than its soda section in current quarters, suggesting that buyers are prepared to pay extra for some manufacturers.
Coca-Cola has additionally largely outperformed rival Pepsico throughout Quincey’s tenure, partly because of its stronger out-of-home enterprise in venues like eating places and film theaters.
Coke can also be profitable the soda wars. Its namesake soda has held onto its spot because the best-selling soda within the U.S., and Sprite surpassed Pepsi to turn into the No. 3 soda within the nation.
Coke’s inventory has outperformed Pepsi’s in recent times.
Coke shares have been largely unchanged in prolonged buying and selling Wednesday. The corporate’s inventory has climbed practically 13% this 12 months, whereas Pepsi shares have fallen greater than 1%.
Coke’s market cap of greater than $300 billion outstrips that of Pepsi, which has a market worth of roughly $200 billion.
