Henrique Braun, the company’s current Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, will take the helm as Chief Executive Officer on March 31, 2026, succeeding James Quincey who will remain Executive Chairman of the Board. Braun’s promotion follows a December 2025 announcement that he would assume the CEO role, underscoring the company’s confidence in his ability to steer Coca‑Cola through a period of evolving consumer preferences and rising input costs.
In a move that signals a top‑level prioritization of technology, Coca‑Cola has created a new Chief Digital Officer position and appointed Sedef Salingan Sahin, the president of the Eurasia and Middle East operating unit, to lead the effort. The role will oversee digital, data, and operational excellence initiatives across all markets, reporting directly to Braun. The appointment reflects the company’s intent to embed digital strategy into its core operating model and accelerate the adoption of AI, cloud, and data analytics to improve efficiency and customer insight.
The transition also re‑allocates customer and commercial responsibilities from CFO John Murphy to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Customer Commercial Officer Manolo Arroyo. In addition, Robin Halpern will serve as Braun’s incoming chief of staff. These changes are designed to streamline decision‑making, align marketing and commercial execution with digital capabilities, and strengthen the company’s focus on consumer insights.
Coca‑Cola’s leadership shift comes amid slowing growth in mature markets and increasing input‑price volatility. By elevating digital leadership and consolidating customer‑centric functions, the company aims to enhance operational agility, reduce cost pressure, and capture growth in emerging markets. The new structure also positions the firm to better leverage its partnership with Microsoft, which has committed $1.1 billion to the Microsoft Cloud, and to accelerate AI‑driven initiatives that can unlock new revenue streams and improve margin resilience.
"We believe our ongoing growth depends on understanding consumers even more deeply," Braun said. "Elevating digital leadership allows us to move faster and work smarter across all markets," he added. Quincey, who will continue as Executive Chairman, noted that the company’s transformation has already begun, citing the creation of a networked operating model and a renewed focus on data‑driven decision‑making.
Coca‑Cola is expected to report its fourth‑quarter and full‑year 2025 results on February 10, 2026. Analysts anticipate earnings of $0.56 per share for the quarter, up from $0.55 a year earlier, and a full‑year EPS of $2.98, reflecting the company’s confidence in its growth trajectory and cost‑control measures. The leadership changes are expected to reinforce investor confidence in the company’s long‑term strategy and execution capability.
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