Coca-Cola backtracks, appoints a CMO 48 months after striking out the role
Manolo Arroyo, the president of Coca-Cola’s Asia Pacific business, has taken on the position of chief marketing officer as part of a new integrated global structure that will come into effect on 1 January, 2020.
This appointment is coming on the backdrop of the cola giant’s decision to cross out the global chief marketing officer role which influenced other global companies to adopt a similar structure.
Coke will now have divisions for creative, category, marketing operations, design and knowledge & insights, all of which will report to Arroyo.
Coke said the alignment of integrated global marketing under Arroyo “will more closely integrate marketing within operations”.
According to James Quincey, chairman and chief executive of The Coca-Cola Company, “Manolo’s dual leadership over operations and marketing is a new structure for us, and we anticipate that it will evolve in the months ahead. Manolo’s focus will range from developing work that can be used around the globe to supporting local campaigns.”
It was noted that the rescinding of Coke’s decision emanated from the retirement of senior vice president and chief growth officer Francisco Crespo. Crespo was appointed in 2017 when Coke said it would rid the company of the distinct CMO title, instead giving him control of global marketing, corporate strategy and customer and commercial operations; a decision which shocked marketing and advertising industry watchers as to why the brand didn’t trust a CMO to drive long-term growth.
The global decision also triggered brands like McDonald’s and Johnson & Johnson also embarked on similar restructures, shedding their organisations of the top marketing roles in favour of “chief growth officers” or “chief customer officers”.
In addition, Quincy noted that Crespo had played a “critical role” in recent years, “especially in helping develop a growth strategy that has become thoroughly embedded in our operations and our culture”.
“He leaves an important legacy of helping make us more focused on fast-changing consumer needs at a critical time,” he added.
Chronicling his extensive background, Coca-Cola stressed that Arroyo was an almost 25-year veteran of the company. After running the brand in Spain, he moved to Atlanta where he led the first global water strategy for the company before returning in 2000 as marketing director for its Iberia business unit. He then moved on to a series of roles in operations and began his current position in Asia Pacific at the start of 2019.
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