Coca-Cola Names New President Of Africa

The Coca-Cola Company has announced that Luisa Ortega will become the President of the Company’s Africa operating unit, overseeing markets across the continent.

Ortega currently serves as President of the Company’s central zone in Latin America, which includes Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Central America and the Caribbean.

She replaces Bruno Pietracci, who has been named president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit. Both changes take effect Feb. 1, 2023. Ortega will relocate to Johannesburg in 2023.

Ortega and Pietracci will report to Henrique Braun, who becomes President, of International Development, for Coca-Cola on Jan. 1, 2023. Braun has served as president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit since 2020.

Ortega, a native of Spain, joined 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 newly created central zone of the Latin America operating unit. 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.

“I’m happy to see Luisa take her knowledge and global expertise to lead our operations in Africa,” Braun said. “I’m also pleased to welcome Bruno back to his native Latin America, where he has extensive experience across a number of markets.”

Ortega has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia Comillas and an MBA from the IESE Business School, both in Spain, along with participating in the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.