ATLANTA — Coca-Cola Co. announced recently two key executive moves as new CEO Muhtar Kent continues to realign his senior management team.
Tom Mattia, Coke's senior vice president of worldwide public affairs and communications, plans to retire in February. Mattia, a former Ford Motor Co. and IBM executive, joined Coke in 2006 and will remain a company adviser until his retirement.
Clyde Tuggle, president of Coke's Russia, Ukraine and Belarus business unit, will return to Atlanta as head of productivity and corporate affairs. He will be recommended for election as a senior vice president at the company's October board meeting.
Employees were notified of the changes in an e-mail from Alex Cummings, Coke executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Cummings became chief administrative officer in July as part of several changes in Coke's global management structure.
Tuggle, a 19-year Coke veteran, has held a variety of positions within the company, including two stints as executive assistant to the chairman and CEO.
He will oversee worldwide public affairs and communications, a position he held from 2002 to 2005.
Tuggle also will be charged with helping the company reach productivity goals. Kent, who became CEO in July, has said he wants to deliver $400 million to $500 million in annual savings by the end of 2011.
"While we have made good progress, we all know there are many more opportunities to drive organization-wide effectiveness and efficiency," Cummings wrote in the e-mail to employees.
Joe Guy Collier writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: jcollier AT ajc.com.