Coca‑Cola chief executive officer James Quincey will leave the post in March 2026. He will be replaced as CEO by the current chief operating officer Enrique Brown. After stepping down from the executive role, Quincey will move into the position of executive chairman of the company.
Assessment of Quincey's leadership
During his tenure the company significantly expanded its product portfolio and successfully weathered the challenges related to the COVID‑19 pandemic. Company leadership characterized his period in charge as highly successful.
Financial results and deals
Over the eight years under his leadership Coca‑Cola's share price rose by approximately 62%. The company completed several major acquisitions: in 2018 it bought the British coffee chain Costa for $5.1 billion, in 2020 it acquired dairy producer Fairlife for $1 billion, and in 2021 — sports drink maker Bodyarmor for $5.6 billion.
Profile of successor Enrique Brown
The new CEO has nearly three decades of experience at Coca‑Cola: he joined the company in 1996 and has held leadership positions across various regions. In particular, he ran the business in Brazil from 2016 to 2020, led the Latin America region from 2020 to 2022, and was responsible for the China and South Korea operations from 2013 to 2016.
Since the beginning of 2025 Enrique Brown has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer, overseeing the company's operating units worldwide.
