Muhtar Kent
Born 1952 · Age 73
Turkish-American business executive; long-time Coca-Cola leader who served as President, CEO and Chairman of The Coca‑Cola Company. Held numerous international leadership, board and policy roles.
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Life & Career Timeline
Earned BSc in Economics, University of Hull (estimated year)
Completed Bachelor of Science in Economics at the University of Hull, England (year estimated from typical schooling timeline; year not explicitly stated in sources).
Completed MSc Administrative Sciences, Cass Business School (estimated)
Completed a Master of Science degree in Administrative Sciences from Cass Business School, City University London (year estimated).
Joined The Coca‑Cola Company (Atlanta)
Joined Coca‑Cola in Atlanta, beginning a long career in marketing and operations. Miami profile notes he began at Coca‑Cola as a delivery driver.
Early job at Coca‑Cola: delivery driver
Began his Coca‑Cola career in a frontline operations role — referenced as starting as a delivery driver (mentioned during a 2019 lecture).
General Manager, Coca‑Cola Turkey & Central Asia
Promoted to General Manager position overseeing Coca‑Cola operations in Turkey and Central Asia.
President, East Central Europe Division; Senior VP Coca‑Cola International
Named President of Coca‑Cola's East Central Europe Division and Senior Vice President of Coca‑Cola International, responsible for 23 countries.
Managing Director, Coca‑Cola Amatil‑Europe
Named Managing Director of Coca‑Cola Amatil‑Europe overseeing bottling operations across 12 countries.
President & CEO, Efes Beverage Group (co. with Coca‑Cola and beer ops)
Left Coca‑Cola operating organizations to become President and CEO of Efes Beverage Group, covering Coca‑Cola and beer operations across SE Europe, Turkey and Central Asia.
Efes: triple-digit revenue growth and 250% market cap increase
Under Kent's leadership Efes experienced extraordinary growth: cited as triple-digit revenue growth and a 250% increase in market capitalization.
Returned to Coca‑Cola as President & COO, North Asia/Eurasia/Middle East Group
Rejoined The Coca‑Cola Company as President and Chief Operating Officer of the North Asia, Eurasia and Middle East Group, overseeing China, Japan, Russia and other markets.
President, Coca‑Cola International
Less than a year after returning, he was named President of Coca‑Cola International, leading all operations outside North America.
Named President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), The Coca‑Cola Company
Elevated to CEO of The Coca‑Cola Company (sources cite 2008 as the year he became CEO).
Served as Chairman & CEO of Coca‑Cola
From 2009 he served in the combined roles of Chairman and CEO, leading global strategy and governance.
Became Chairman of the Board (effective April 23, 2009)
Assumed the role of Chairman of the Board in addition to CEO; effective date cited as April 23, 2009 in multiple bios.
Board member — Catalyst
Kent is listed as serving on the board of Catalyst (exact appointment year not given in provided material).
Member, Board of Directors — 3M (listed among board roles)
Listed in bios as serving on the board of 3M (exact appointment date not specified in provided sources; year is approximate based on contemporary bios).
Board member — Special Olympics International
Bios list Kent as a board member of Special Olympics International (date not stated; year shown is approximate).
Board member — Ronald McDonald House Charities
Bios list him as serving on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities (appointment year not specified).
Board member — Cambridge China Development Trust
Bios list Kent as serving on the Cambridge China Development Trust board (year not specified).
Board member — Emory University
Kent serves on the board of Emory University (date not provided; included in contemporaneous biographies).
Past Chairman, U.S.‑China Business Council (noted in biography)
Kent is identified as a past Chairman of the U.S.‑China Business Council. Actual chairmanship years are not specified in the provided excerpts.
Chairman Emeritus, U.S. ASEAN Business Council (listed role)
Bios identify Kent as Chairman Emeritus of the U.S. ASEAN Business Council (exact timing not given).
Chair, International Business Council, World Economic Forum (listed role)
Kent is described as Chairman of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum; appointment year not stated in the excerpts provided.
Co‑Chair, The Consumer Goods Forum (listed role)
Kent has served as co‑chair of The Consumer Goods Forum (exact year of appointment not given in provided text).
Member, Business Roundtable; Fellow, Foreign Policy Association (roles listed)
Kent is listed as a member of the Business Roundtable and a fellow of the Foreign Policy Association; years of joining not given in excerpts.
Member, Eminent Persons Group for ASEAN (appointed by Obama/Clinton)
Kent is listed as a member of the Eminent Persons Group for ASEAN; the bio notes appointment by President Obama and Secretary Clinton but does not give a precise year. Year shown is an approximate placement during the Obama administration.
Reported stepping down as CEO (Wikipedia citation)
Some summaries state he left the CEO role in 2016 (this conflicts with other sources that place his CEO departure in 2017); included with lower confidence.
Stepped down as CEO (University of Miami account: served through April 2017)
University of Miami profile states he served as Chairman and CEO through April 2017; this places his CEO transition in spring 2017 (contradictory sourcing with some other statements).
Profile listings and board memberships reaffirmed in multiple organizational bios
As of 2019 contemporaneous bios (Georgia Historical Society, Nature Conservancy, USAsean) list Kent's roles on several corporate and non‑profit boards and policy councils.
Noted achievements in sustainability (water neutrality initiative)
During the 2019 lecture he discussed Coca‑Cola achieving water neutrality over five years and elevating women entrepreneurs globally (the bio attributes these as key achievements under his leadership).
Retired as Chairman of The Coca‑Cola Company
Retired from the position of Chairman on April 30, 2019 (multiple sources cite retirement from the board role on this date).
Lecture: Southern Glazer's Distinguished Leaders (University of Miami)
Delivered a Distinguished Leaders lecture at Miami Business School on May 6, 2019, reflecting on a 41‑year Coca‑Cola career and leadership topics.
Listed as member, Galatasaray Sports Club (club number 14277)
Biographical entries note Kent is a member of Galatasaray Sports Club, member number 14277 (club membership affirmed in profiles; date of joining not given).
Listed member, The Nature Conservancy Latin America Conservation Council (profile present)
Nature Conservancy website lists Kent as a member of the Latin America Conservation Council (profile provides roles and areas of interest such as water).
AAE Speakers profile updated (speaking fee range recorded)
AAE Speakers Bureau profile for Muhtar A. Kent was updated with an estimated live-event speaking fee of $100,000–$200,000 (profile update date shown as 19 Mar 2025).
Key Achievement Ages
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