Coca-Cola promotes Atul Singh as group president for Asia

Development comes as part of company's decision to rename Pacific Group business unit to Asia Pacific business unit

Beverages major Coca-Cola on Tuesday announced elevation of Atul Singh, currently deputy president of its Pacific Group, as the Group president, Asia.

In the new role, Singh will oversee the firm’s businesses in entire Asia, including in Greater China, Korea, India and southwest Asia and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The development comes as part of Coca-Cola’s decision to rename Pacific Group business unit to Asia Pacific business unit.

The new structure would be effective from January 1 next year, Coca-Cola said, in a statement. Coca-Cola’s International business group consists of its business units in Asia, Japan and South Pacific.

“The formation of the new Asia operating unit will further sharpen the company’s focus on China, India and Indonesia – three critical markets that dominate this part of the world, and play an unparalleled role in achieving the 2020 Vision growth targets,” the statement said.

Earlier in June this year, Singh was elevated as the deputy president of Pacific Group. Till then, he was head of Indian and Southwest Asian operations of Coca-Cola. Singh’s area of responsibility includes two of the company’s key business units for soft drink business in the region — China (No 3 for Coke in volume terms) and India (seventh).

Meanwhile, Singh will continue to report to Ahmet Bozer, President, Coca-Cola International.

Venkatesh Kini, currently deputy president, India & South West Asia, would be appointed the president for India and South West Asia region. Manuel Arroyo, would become the president of the Asean business unit, the statement said.

Both Kini and Arroyo would report to Singh. Singh would continue to provide oversight to Greater China and Korea business units until a successor was named at a later date, the statement added.

However, the changes will not have any impact on the organisation structure at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd, the bottling operations of Coca-Cola in India.

Singh now oversees Coca-Cola’s operations in 10 of the 38 Asia-Pacific countries, excluding the two big markets of Japan (fifth-largest market) and Australia and New Zealand. But, China and India together account for 10 per cent of Coca-Cola’s total global volumes.

While the soft drink giant sells 700 million cases a year in India, its sales volume from China is three times that number. As part of its vision for 2020, Coke expects India to become its fifth-largest market in the world. The US still remains its largest market, while Mexico comes the next.

For the past eight years, Singh has been overseeing Coca-Cola’s operations in the markets of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Singh has also worked as the president for the East, Central & South China division, before taking over as president of Coca-Cola India.