Motivator in Chief

At Coca-Cola’s sprawling corporate headquarters in Atlanta, you quickly get a taste of southern hospitality. Within my first five minutes there, no fewer than four staff members asked if I’d like a cold Coca-Cola product. By the fourth offer it seemed downright rude to refuse. I opted for a Diet Coke. I was in Atlanta to meet with Coke’s CEO, Muhtar Kent, for the latest in a series of HBR interviews with prominent CEOs. Kent and I spent 90 minutes talking about the challenges he faces leading a quintessentially American company that operates in more than 200 markets around the world—and has amassed 33 million Facebook fans to boot. (See “Shaking Things Up at Coca-Cola,” this issue.) Kent practically has Coke running in his blood. He held a variety of positions at the company before leaving in 1999 to work for a beverage maker in his native Turkey, and then returned as COO in 2005, together with Neville Isdell, his immediate predecessor as CEO. The pair set out to turn around a culture that Kent saw as arrogant. “We had lost our soul,” he says. After working with Isdell to restore morale and re-energize the business, Kent took over the top job in 2008. He set two priorities: creating a long-term vision for the company that, among other things, calls for doubling the business by 2020, and restoring growth in a mature North American market. Two years into the effort, he’s pleased with the results. Kent is no stranger to controversy. Coca-Cola has often found itself on the defensive with consumers: Critics contend that it uses too much water in its products and too much plastic in its packaging, and that its sugary drinks contribute significantly to the rise in obesity. I asked Kent about all of this. Coke is addressing these issues, he says, but it can’t solve any of them alone. And ultimately it is committed to providing choice. Kent clearly sees himself as a motivator in chief. He defines Coca-Cola as an “expression of optimism,” and he frequently visits supermarkets and other points along the supply chain to connect with customers. Is that a good use of a CEO’s time? Kent says yes: “It’s important to be seen, because we are a people business.” Adi Ignatius, Editor in Chief Is visiting supermarkets and other points along the supply chain a good use of a CEO’s time? It might be, if the goal is to connect with customers and motivate the staff.

Motivator in Chief

Partner Center