Coca-Cola names Quincey COO, Bozer to leave

ATLANTA - Reuters

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Coca-Cola Co named James Quincey chief operating officer, and said company veteran Ahmet Bozer, who had been seen as a possible successor to Muhtar Kent as CEO, would be leaving.

Quincey, 50, is a 19-year veteran of the company and most recently served as president of Coke’s Europe Group. He fills a post vacated by Kent in 2008, effective immediately.

Quincey was instrumental in leading the negotiations for the recently proposed merger of Coke’s bottlers Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetranke AG to form Coca-Cola European Partners Plc.

The proposed deal, valued at 28 billion euros ($31 billion), will make Coca-Cola European Partners the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler based on net revenues.

Bozer, 55, executive vice president and president of Coca-Cola International, will leave in March, the company said on Aug. 13.

He has been with the company for 25 years, starting in Atlanta as a financial control manager.

In 2012, the beverage giant announced a new operating structure, dividing its global business into three main units and giving possible CEO successors Bozer and Steve Cahillane, who ran the North American bottling operations, much larger roles.

Cahillane left in 2013 in another reorganization.