James Quincey
James Quincey | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Robert B. Quincey January 8, 1965 London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | CEO and chairman of The Coca-Cola Company |
James Robert B. Quincey (born 8 January 1965) is a British entrepreneur currently operating out of the United States. Following his initial professional experience at Bain & Co, he became part of The Coca-Cola Company in 1996, eventually advancing to the position of chief operating officer (COO). He was appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) in 2017 and later took on the role of chairman of the board in 2019.
Early life
Born in London, England, James Quincey spent three years living in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA, where his father was a biochemistry lecturer at Dartmouth College. When he was five years old, his family relocated to Birmingham, England. He attended the private institution King Edward's School, Birmingham and graduated with a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering from the University of Liverpool. Quincey is proficient in Spanish.
Entry into Coca-Cola
Quincey joined Coca-Cola in 1996 after working at Bain & Co and a smaller consulting firm. During his time at Coca-Cola, he lived in Latin America and was based in Mexico, where he led the acquisition of Jugos del Valle. In 2015, he was promoted to president of Coca-Cola, where he introduced a strategy to categorize the company’s brands into five distinct clusters. He also implemented a comprehensive reorganization of management and the company’s overall structure.
Leadership as Chairman and CEO
Appointed CEO in December 2016, Quincey officially assumed the position in May 2017 following the retirement of Muhtar Kent. Early on, he announced plans to reduce 1,200 corporate roles to redirect resources toward new product development and marketing efforts, targeting revenue and profit growth between 4% and 6%. He aimed to transform Coca-Cola’s culture by reducing risk aversion and accelerating investments in startups to broaden the company's portfolio. Additionally, Quincey initiated a sustainability goal to recycle one bottle for every bottle sold by 2030. On 24 April 2019, he was named chairman of the board. In December 2021, he declared the discontinuation of less profitable products such as Tab and Zico coconut water to concentrate on core growth segments.
In 2023, Quincey earned a total compensation package valued at $24.7 million, which was roughly 1,799 times the median salary of Coca-Cola employees.
In 2025, Quincey presented President Donald Trump with Coca-Cola’s inaugural custom Diet Coke bottle commemorating his inauguration.
Personal life
James Quincey lives in London with his wife Jacqui and their two children.