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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/FILE

Kenya

Coca-Cola announces new international structure

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/FILE

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/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 24 – The Coca-Cola Company has announced a new streamlined international structure aimed at aligning its operating units against its global bottling footprint as well as promote and develop key Coca-Cola leaders.

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.

The international operating structure which will also include leadership changes will take effective August 1, 2016.

“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,” Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent said while commenting on the changes on Tuesday.

In Europe, the Central and Southern Europe and Russia, Ukraine and Belarus business units will be combined into a new business unit to be called Central and Eastern Europe.

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.

“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,” President and Chief Operating Officer James Quincey said.

The company has now appointed Brian Smith, currently president of the company’s Latin America Group, to be the new President, EMEA Group, reporting to Quincey.

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 December 31, 2016.

Alfredo Rivera, currently President of the Latin Centre Business Unit, will become President, Latin America Group, reporting to Quincey.

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John Murphy, currently President of the South Latin Business Unit, will become President, Asia Pacific Group, reporting to Quincey.

Murphy has held senior company and bottling roles in a number of markets during his 28-year career, including Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and North America, in addition to roles in Latin America.

Atul Singh, currently President of the Asia Pacific Group, will transition to the role of Chairman, Asia Pacific Group. Singh will continue to focus on managing a number of key stakeholders, government relations, key merger and acquisition initiatives, as well as continuing to serve on a number of boards, until March 2017 when he will retire from the company.

The company’s Bottling Investments and North America groups will not be impacted by the changes.

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