The Coca-Cola Company has named Hemant Rupani as the CEO of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the US giant’s largest bottler in India.
Rupani, who will join HCCB in September, will succeed Juan Pablo Rodriguez, who is “moving to a new opportunity” within the Coca-Cola system, a statement from The Coca-Cola Company read.
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The Diet Coke owner said Rupani is a “highly accomplished business leader who has delivered impressive results and driven commercial success over his career” across both Indian and multinational organisations.
He will join HCCB after a nine-year tenure at Mondelez International, where he most recently worked as the business unit president for the snacks giant’s business in South East Asia.
Rupani’s responsibilities covered markets including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, along with Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
His career also includes nine years working for PepsiCo across two stints.
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By GlobalDataRupani’s appointment coincides with ongoing restructuring efforts within Coca-Cola’s independent bottling structure in India.
In December, Coca-Cola announced that Jubilant Bhartia Group would acquire a 40% stake in Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings, HCCB’s parent company.
During the same month, HCCB divested its bottling operations in Jharkhand to Moon Beverages.
Earlier last year, the group sold three of its bottling facilities to SLMG Beverages, Moon Beverages, and Kandhari Global Beverages.
Recently, Kandhari Global Beverages expanded its portfolio by purchasing the bottling operations of Wave Beverages, another Indian beverage company.
The acquisition followed Kandhari’s earlier purchase of bottling facilities in northern Gujarat and Diu from HCCB.
