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Coca-Cola Names COO Henrique Braun Next CEO in 2026

The board characterizes the internal handover as a continuation of the company’s growth strategy under James Quincey’s executive chairmanship.

Overview

  • The leadership change takes effect on March 31, 2026, and the company will nominate Henrique Braun for election to the board at the 2026 annual meeting.
  • Braun is a nearly three-decade Coca-Cola veteran who became COO in January 2025 after leading operations across Latin America, Greater China, South Korea and other international units.
  • James Quincey will move to executive chairman after nearly nine years as CEO, a tenure that added more than 10 billion-dollar brands and delivered share-price gains of about 60%.
  • Lead independent director David Weinberg said the transition continues the growth strategy set under Quincey and affirmed that Quincey will remain active in the business.
  • Company statements say Braun will focus on global growth opportunities, closer consumer engagement, technology enablement and partnership with bottlers as the company faces softer soda demand and shifting preferences.