Coca-Cola restructures, Nigeria to serve as regional hub

The Coca-Cola Company has  announced a new streamlined international structure to better align its operating units against its global bottling footprint and to promote and develop key Coca-Cola leaders.

“Today’s announcement outlines important changes to our international operating structure that better support our evolving bottler footprint and demonstrate the deep bench of management experience we are fortunate to have in the Coca-Cola system,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “These moves will continue to lay the foundation for strong leadership and management continuity.”

President and Chief Operating Officer James Quincey added: “As we continue to implement our five strategic actions for growth, it is critical that our organizational structure enables the speed, agility and inspirational leadership that are necessary to win today and in the future. The changes we are announcing today streamline our international structure, and reflect strong talent succession and a commitment to developing the next generation of leaders at our company.”

Under the new international structure, Nigeria will now host the newly formed West Africa Business Unit which will based in Lagos and oversee Coca-Cola’s operations across of 31 countries with Peter Njonjo as President. The announcement also includes the reassignment of Kelvin Balogun, currently President for Coca-Cola Central, East and West Africa, as the President of the newly formed South and East Africa Business Unit.

International operating structure and leadership changes, effective Aug. 1 (unless otherwise noted), include:

The company will form a Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Group, consisting of the business units that currently make up the Europe and the Eurasia and Africa Groups.

In Europe, the Central and Southern Europe and Russia, Ukraine and Belarus business units will be combined into a new business unit – Central and Eastern Europe – to better support the bottling footprint in that region.

In Africa, two business units will be reconfigured to more closely align operations with bottling operations on the continent, with the formation of a new South and East Africa business unit and a West Africa business unit.

Brian Smith, currently president of the company’s Latin America Group, will become President, EMEA Group, reporting to Quincey. Smith is a 19-year Coca-Cola veteran who has a proven track record of driving business results, developing and exporting talent and providing strong franchise leadership across Latin America, including past roles as Division President of Brazil and Business Unit President for Mexico.

Smith’s leadership team will include: Dan Sayre, who will continue as President, Western Europe; Nikos Koumettis, who will expand his existing role to become President, Central and Eastern Europe; Kelvin Balogun, currently President Central, East and West Africa (CEWA), who will become President, South and East Africa; Zoran Vucinic, currently President, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, who will become President, Middle East and North Africa; Galya Molinas, who will continue in her role as President, Turkey, Caucasus and Central Asia; and Peter Njonjo, currently General Manager of the East Africa Franchise in CEWA, who will become President of the new West Africa Business Unit.

As the new EMEA Group is created, Nathan Kalumbu, currently President, Eurasia and Africa Group, will focus on key initiatives across the Africa business, including the Africa bottler consolidation, as well as serve on a number of boards, until he retires from the company effective Dec. 31, 2016.