Dive Brief:
- Industry watchers say Sandy Douglas is the new heir apparent at Coca-Cola, following the announcement late last week that the beverage maker was reorganizing North American operations.
- Douglas, a Coke veteran, was named group president for Coca-Cola North America as part of a plan to return the company to a franchise model. In that same announcement, Coke reported that Steve Cahillane had left the company.
- Cahillane has long been seen as the next CEO when 61-year old Muhtar Kent retires.
Dive Insight:
The sudden departure of Cahillane left the entire beverage industry in pins and needles. Coke announced only that he was leaving to pursue other opportunities. What we, and everyone else, would like to know is exactly what those opportunities are. In the meantime, we feel obliged to note that while Douglas is now seen as the leading candidate to become CEO, there's no reason to assume that Kent will leave the company in the near future — and a lot can happen between now and when Kent steps aside.
