President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company

Muhtar Kent is the president and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company, maker of the world’s most-loved beverages. Born of Turkish descent, Muhtar Kent began his career in 1978 at The Coca-Cola Company and has since then occupied and served various leadership positions in the company, beginning with Coca-Cola’s international offices.

From 1985 until 1989, Muhtar Ken headed Coca-Cola’s operations in Central Asia and Turkey as general manager. In 1989, he was Coca-Cola’s East Central Europe Division president and served as Coca-Cola International’s senior vice president, overseeing its operations in 23 countries. From 1995 until 1998, he became Coca-Cola Amatil-Europe’s managing director, during which he successfully increased the turnover of the bottling operations in 12 European countries by 50%.

After 20 years of service, Muhtar Kent left the Coca-Cola Company in 1999 and assumed the top executive post at Istanbul-based Efes Beverage Group, Coca-Cola’s largest shareholder in Turkey and one of Europe’s largest international beverage businesses. At Efes, he led the company to phenomenal growth consisting of a revenue growth of triple-digits and a 250% market capitalization increase. Moreover, through the London Stock Exchange, he took the Efes Breweries International public.

Upon his return to Coca-Cola in 2005, he was designated chief operating officer and president of its Eurasia, North Asia, and Middle East Group before his promotion to the newly created post of President of International Operations.

His brilliant leadership and solid performance resulted to a career peak when he became the chairman of the board and chief executive officer on July 1, 2008, after Neville Isdell.

Outside his responsibilities at Coca-Cola, Kent is husband to Defne Kent and father to two children. He recently received the posthumous award from the American Sephardia Foundation and the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation on behalf of his father, Turkish diplomat Necdet Kent, who was instrumental in saving the lives of Jews in World War II.