Coca-Cola names Minnick to head new global marketing unit to boost flagging sales

LONDON – Coca-Cola is hoping changes to its senior marketing management will help halt declining sales, naming Mary Minnick to lead a new global function to incorporate marketing and strategic growth paths.

Minnick, who has spent the last four years as president of Coca-Cola Asia, has been chosen to oversee the coordination of the marketing, innovation and strategic growth paths functions to work on developing new products and technologies.

Reporting to Minnick will be Chuck Fruit, chief marketing officer, along with Danny Strickland, chief innovation/research and development officer and a head of strategic growth paths, yet to be named.

Neville Isdell, chairman and chief executive officer of the Coca-Cola Company, said: "Mary has a proven track record of developing good ideas and, most importantly, bringing those ideas through the system, using new manufacturing technologies and successfully commercialising them into new products."

At the same time, the soft drinks giant has also made changes to its structure in Europe, which sees the appointment of Dominique Reiniche as president of the newly formed European Union Group of the Coca Cola Company. She takes the role of president at the group.

Reineche, 49, who moves from the role of president of Coca-Cola Enterprises Europe, will start her new role from May 1. She became vice-president and general manager of Coca-Cola Enterprises' French operations in 1998 and was named president of the European Group in January 2003.

Coca-Cola Enterprises sells approximately 80% of The Coca-Cola Company's bottle and can volume in North America and is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca Cola Company in the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, France and the Netherlands.

In the UK, where the company is battling a £100m decline in sales, Mother and Naked Communications are working on improving on the launch of a new range of diet and light drinks and a television ad for Fanta Z in May, followed by a campaign for individual brands within the range.

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