Coca-Cola's COO will replace James Quincey as CEO in 2026
Henrique Braun will succeed Quincey after nine years in the top spot. Quincey will remain at the company as executive chairman
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Coca-Cola COO Henrique Braun has been tapped to replace outgoing CEO James Quincey at the soda giant.
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Effective March 31, Braun will assume control, as Quincey will continue as executive chairman on the board. This will mark the end of a nine-year run for Quincey as head of the company. He was named CEO in 2017 and has since overseen the company through COVID and a shift in consumer consumption habits, with a growing interest in healthier beverages.
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Braun is a Coke veteran. He joined the company in 1996, working in several divisions from supply chain to bottling before being named president of the Latin America unit in 2020. He also served as president of the Brazil business unit and the division in China and South Korea. He was named chief operating officer at the start of 2025.
“I’m stepping down as CEO after a 30-year career with the company, and I have an appreciation of what a privilege it has been to serve this great and enduring business,” Quincey said in a statement. “Henrique is a trusted and highly experienced business partner, and he’s the right leader to steer the company and the Coca-Cola system for future growth and success.”
Coca-Cola is the current market leader in the cola wars, leading the market with its flagship product and recently relegating Pepsi to third place, as Sprite has become the second most consumed soda in the U.S.
Still, the company is facing headwinds. Global unit case volume was higher in the most recent quarter, but fell the three months prior to that. Soda sales are flat among key demographics, but there has been increased demand for other Coke products like Smartwater.