The Coca-Cola Company announced that it is creating the new role of Chief Digital Officer. Sedef Salingan Sahin, who currently serves as president of the company?s Eurasia and Middle East operating unit, will take on this new position, reporting to Braun. Sahin will lead the next chapter of Coca-Cola?s digital journey, integrating the company?s digital network and connecting work across related functions.
Sahin is a seasoned business leader with deep operating experience across developed and developing markets, having lived in multiple regions. Her broad, multi-functional leadership makes Sahin the ideal leader to enable end-to-end transformation from strategy to execution, creating new ways of working to accelerate growth and performance. Sahin, who joined Coca-Cola in 2003, served as president of the company?s nutrition, juice, dairy and plant category in the marketing organization before taking her current role in the Eurasia and Middle East operating unit.
Both roles involved extensive work to lead the digitization of the business, including the transformation of the marketing organization. Digital strategy efforts for the company, currently overseen by John Murphy in his capacity as President and Chief Financial Officer, will transition to Sahin. In addition, Customer and Commercial Leadership responsibilities will transfer from Murphy to Manolo Arroyo, who currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
Arroyo will become Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Customer Commercial Officer. Murphy will continue to serve as President and Chief Financial Officer working closely with Braun to drive the company?s growth agenda and will continue to oversee Global Strategy, Corporate Development, Investor Relations, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Accounting and Controls, Performance Management and Enterprise Services, including Real Estate. The company is also creating two new market groupings reporting into Braun that are designed to enhance focus on markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
President, India and Southwest Asia operating unit and Emerging Large Markets Lead ? Markets in India; Southwest Asia; Greater China and Mongolia; and Japan and South Korea will now be overseen by Sanket Ray. He will also continue to serve in his current role as president of the INSWA operating unit.
President, Eurasia and Middle East operating unit and Emerging Multi-Markets Lead ? Eurasia and Middle East; ASEAN and South Pacific; and Africa markets will now be overseen by Claudia Lorenzo, who will also serve as president of the EME operating unit. She is currently chief of staff to Chairman and CEO James Quincey and the former president of the ASEAN and South Pacific operating unit.
The company also announced that Robin Halpern has been named Braun?s incoming chief of staff. In this capacity, Halpern will support and enable an effective transition. Halpern currently serves as Vice President and Head of Investor Relations.
