Muhtar Kent

Ahmet Muhtar Kent
Born	(1952-12-01) December 1, 1952 New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Corporate executive
Years active	1978–present
Known for	Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company

Ahmet Muhtar Kent (born December 1, 1952) is a Turkish-American corporate leader who held the positions of chairman and CEO at The Coca-Cola Company. He assumed the role of CEO in 2008 and was appointed chairman in 2009, eventually relinquishing these posts in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Kent is also affiliated with Galatasaray Sports Club, holding membership number 14277.

Early life

Kent was born in New York City during the time his father, Necdet Kent, served as Turkey's consul-general there. He completed his middle education at English High School for Boys in 1968 and graduated from Tarsus American College located in Mersin, Turkey, in 1971. Subsequently, he pursued higher education in the United Kingdom at the University of Hull, where he earned an MBA from London's Cass Business School.

1978–1999

Kent launched his professional journey with Coca-Cola in Turkey in 1978, where he acquired practical knowledge in distribution, marketing, and logistics. By 1985, he had risen to the position of general manager for Coca-Cola Turkey and Central Asia, overseeing the relocation of the headquarters from İzmir to Istanbul. In 1988, he was appointed president of the East Central Europe Division, managing operations across 23 countries stretching from the Alps to the Himalayas while based in Vienna.

In 1995, Kent advanced to managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil-Europe, responsible for bottling activities across a dozen European nations and achieving nearly a 50% increase in revenue within two years.

1999–2005

After two decades with Coca-Cola, Kent departed in 1999 to become CEO of Efes Beverage Group under Anadolu Group—a significant shareholder in Coca-Cola's Turkish franchise and one of Europe's leading beverage enterprises. During his tenure, Efes expanded its operations across regions from Serbia to Pakistan.

Kent’s career encountered challenges following a 1996 insider trading conviction in Australia linked to his tenure at Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. He was mandated to surrender $324,000 in profits and cover investigation expenses. Kent attributed this matter to decisions made by his financial adviser. The controversy continued until his resignation from Coca-Cola Amatil-Europe in 1998.

2005–present

Kent reentered Coca-Cola in May 2005 as president and COO for North Asia, Eurasia, and the Middle East, reporting directly to then-CEO Neville Isdell. In January 2006, he was elevated to president of international operations, overseeing all company functions outside North America.

He took over as CEO on July 1, 2008, followed by appointment as chairman on April 23, 2009. Reports indicated his annual earnings reached $25 million by 2015. Throughout his career, Kent has held prominent roles such as co-chair of the Consumer Goods Forum, chairman emeritus of the US-ASEAN Business Council, and former chairman of the US-China Business Council. President Obama selected him for the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group. Additionally, Kent serves on boards including Special Olympics International and Emory University.

His board memberships extend to The American Turkish Society and the National Committee on United States-China Relations. He participated in the 2009 Bilderberg conference held in Greece and has been honored with honorary degrees from Oglethorpe University (2008) and Georgia Institute of Technology (2014).

In December 2016, it was announced that Kent would resign as CEO by May 2017 with president and COO James Quincey succeeding him; Kent continued as chairman until April 2019. That same year, he received recognition as a Georgia Trustee for his professional accomplishments and community involvement.

Kent was also considered a potential vice-presidential candidate alongside Hillary Clinton during the 2016 U.S. presidential race.

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