Coca-Cola names Quincey as president and COO

ATLANTA, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Beverage giant Coca-Cola on Thursday turned to a veteran official to take over as president and chief operating executive -- replacing a man who retires after a quarter century at the company.

Coca-Cola announced Thursday that James Quincey will assume the posts of president and chief operating officer effective immediately. He replaces Ahmet Bozer, who is retiring.

"Over nearly two decades, James has built an impressive track record of strategic, operational and commercial accomplishments," Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent said. "He has proven to be a successful and trusted leader and brings to this position a strong reputation for developing people and inspiring teams."

Quincey, 50, joined the company in 1996 and served in various roles for the last two decades. As COO, he will be responsible for all of Coca-Cola's global operations.

"James is emblematic of the deep bench strength we have developed at Coca-Cola, and I could not be more pleased about his appointment to this critical role at this important time," Kent added.

"I am excited and honored to take on this role and look forward to partnering with Muhtar and our talented senior leadership team to deliver on our 2020 Vision and help accelerate the strategic actions we've outlined to reinvigorate growth across our Company and system worldwide," Quincey said in a company news release.

Bozer, who has served as Coca-Cola president since 2012, served in various roles between the time he joined the company in 1990 and his retirement.