Muhtar Kent: Bottling Coca-Cola’s Secrets for Success
The outgoing chairman is intent on a smooth transition to ensure a lasting legacy
By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson
Muhtar Kent is starting the year on a bicycle, touring South Africa at speed. The 66-year-old took up road biking in earnest about two years ago as he handed the chief executive role at Coca-Cola to James Quincey and took on the less demanding position of chairman.
“I started spending a little bit more time looking after myself and lost 35lb,” he says, sipping a Coke Zero.
He is also back on the golf course, having all but given up the game in frustration that he could not put in the hours as chief executive to play it well: “It’s all about allocation of time, just like allocation of capital.”
Time is on Mr Kent’s mind as he prepares to cede the chairmanship to Mr Quincey in April, ending a decade at the top of the $200bn drinks group. With only months left of a 40-year career mostly spent with one company, he is keen to frame his legacy as one of staying focused on its long-term success.
Warren Buffett, Coca-Cola’s largest shareholder, told him he wants managers to run their businesses like they are family assets they cannot sell for years, he recalls. “I think…
