Coca-Cola appoints Ortega as new president of Africa operating unit
By Ibidunni Banjoko
The Coca-Cola Company has appointed Luisa Ortega as the new president of its Africa operating unit to oversee markets across the continent.
Ortega is currently the president of the company’s central zone in Latin America, which includes Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Central America and the Caribbean.
The appointment will be effective from 1 February, 2023, while she relocates to Johannesburg to replace Bruno Pietracci, who has now been appointed as the president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit.
Ortega will report to Henrique Braun who will take on the newly created role President, International Development, for Coca-Cola on 1 January 2023. Braun has previously served as president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit since 2020.
Ortega has acquired a wealth of experience throughout her career as, since joining Coca-Cola in 2019 as vice-president and general manager of the South Latin business unit, she was later named deputy president and then president of South Latin.
In 2021, she became president of the central zone of the Latin America operating unit. What’s more, she also serves as chair of the company’s Global Women’s Leadership Council.
Prior to Coca-Cola, Ortega worked at SC Johnson for more than 14 years in various roles in Europe, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. She also worked at Endesa, a utility corporation that serves mainly Spain and Portugal.
Pietracci joined Coca-Cola in Brazil in 2008 as vice president of strategic planning and research. In 2010, he moved into operations to lead the Southern Brazil region. He was later named general manager of the Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador markets.
In 2016, Pietracci became vice president of operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He later became president of the company’s South and East Africa business unit, followed by serving as president of the Africa and Middle East business unit. Pietracci was named to his current role as president of the Africa operating unit in 2021. He was appointed in 2022 to the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA).
Prior to Coca-Cola, Pietracci was with McKinsey & Co. in Brazil and Lisbon.
Commenting on the changes within the business, Braun said: “I’m happy to see Luisa take her knowledge and global expertise to lead our operations in Africa. I’m also pleased to welcome Bruno back to his native Latin America, where he has extensive experience across a number of markets.”
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