USA – The Board of Directors of the beverage giant Coca-Cola has elected the CEO of Markel Group, Thomas S. Gayner, as the new director, effective immediately.
Gayner has served as CEO of Markel Group since the start of the year and was co-CEO from 2016 through 2022. Markel is a holding company with operations in insurance, services, and industrial operations.
Gayner currently serves as chairman of the board of the Davis Series Mutual Funds and on the boards of Graham Holdings and Markel. He is also a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Virginia Retirement System. He previously served on the boards of Cable One and Colfax Corp.
The company’s board has also elected Henrique Braun as a corporate senior vice president. Braun has served as the company’s President of International Development since the start of the year.
He oversees the company’s operating units for Latin America; Japan and South Korea; ASEAN and South Pacific; Greater China and Mongolia; Africa; India and Southwest Asia; and Eurasia and the Middle East.
Previously, Braun served as President of the Latin America operating unit from 2020 to 2022. Braun joined Coca-Cola in 1996 and progressed through a variety of roles in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University Federal of Rio de Janeiro, a Master of Science degree from Michigan State University, and an MBA from Georgia State University.
New Coca-Cola Manufacturing and Distribution Center
Meanwhile, the company has announced that the US$25 million Distribution and Manufacturing Center being built in Billing, USA, should be complete by September of 2023 and is expected to be fully operational earlier January 2024.
The facility sitting on 14 acres of land, received US$250,000 support from the Big Sky Economic Development Opportunity Fund, and the City of Billings gave $250,000 and a tax abatement while Yellowstone County gave an additional tax abatement to construct new water and sewer lines to the facility.
According to the Director of Property Development of Coca-Cola Bottling Company High County Joe Easton, once complete the modern facility will offer more opportunities for local jobs.
He added that Coca-Cola has had a presence in Billings and Yellowstone County for over 100 years and the investment in the facility shows the commitment of the Coca-Cola bottling company must stay in the Magic City for many years to come.
For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.