Change The Name or a Boycott is Certain to Happen!
Soft drink maker Coca-Cola Co. said it will merge its Eurasia and Africa operations and create a new chief administrative officer position to oversee several back-office operations.
In a memo to employees, the company named Alex Cummings, the current president of the Africa group, to the new post.
Coca-Cola Chief Executive Muhtar Kent said he also plans to nominate Cummings as executive vice president at its board meeting next month.
In his chief administrative officer role, the company said, Cummings will oversee the company's legal, public affairs and communications and human resources operations, among other responsibilities.
Ahmet Bozer, the president of the current Eurasia group, will be the president of the new Eurasia and Africa group, the company said.
Coca-Cola added that it will move its Adriatic and Balkans business unit from the Eurasia group to the Europe division.
The company said the restructuring should help the company "sharpen our internal
focus on the marketplace with greater speed, productivity and effectiveness."
The letter below is what Mr. Beasley sent to Coca-Cola:
June 21, 2008
Dear Ms. Jones:
I just received a call from Nairobi, Kenya informing me of the pending merger of Coca Cola’s Africa, Europe and Asia. The new name, Eurasia, suggest that Africa no longer exist! This will serve to strengthen our resolve to press forward for change in the ownership structure in Africa. We will press for greater inclusion of African descendants living in the Americas, especially in Brazil and Columbia.
Over a billion loyal Coca Cola consumers are African! What percentage of Coca Cola worldwide is owned by Africans? With Mr. Alexander Cummings being moved into what is described as the “back office operations,” with the title of Chief Administrative Officer, what African hold real authority in your company?
What benefits will Africa derive from this merger? Have the African Union been apprised of this pending change. I understand that Coca Cola is a private company; however, financial advantage must not be the primary consideration for this restructure.
It would appear that a change of this magnitude would require approval of your board of directors. This merger is to take place on July 1, 2008 prior to your Wilmington meeting.
The group that met with you and Mr. Cummings earlier this year regarding Africa has been expanded to include people from Africa and Central/South America. We were surprised that we was not apprised of the pending changes and had to receive the information from a third party source in Africa.
We are grateful for the role you continue to play at Coca Cola. Our source indicated that you are in Istanbul, Turkey we trust that you have a productive trip and a safe return to Atlanta.
Sincerely,
Joe Beasley, President, African Ascension www.africanascension.org
16 comments:
Regarding Coke, only 25% of their case volume (including non-soda brands) comes from the U.S and Canada. Their five-year case volume growth rate in this region is 1%, although it actually declined by 1% in 2007. Declining soda consumption in the U.S. more than offsets growth in their other brands.
Worldwide, their numbers are much stronger. Latin America accounts for 27% of KO's case volume and it witnessed 9% volume growth in 2007. Africa and Eurasia combine for 17% of volume and grew at a double-digit pace.
The Pacific region, which includes Australia, Japan and China, is currently only 16% of case volume. However, in 2007 the region consumed 42 servings of Coke products per capita, compared to a worldwide average of 83 servings. As this region continues to grow and have more money available for beverage consumption, that per-capita consumption will increase and approach, if not surpass, the world average.
I believe Coca-Cola if they expect to continue increasing their sales, should change the name from Coca-Cola Eurasia back to Coca-Cola Africa. efforts to rename the company back to its original name Coca-Cola Africa.
I am so glad I boycotted them for being an Olympic sponsor. I will continue to do so. Thanks for the information.
Joyce you can be sure that its good that you still Boycott Coca Cola! Green stars for you! I am shocked Coca-Cola would change the name.
Coca Cola is pretending to do a lot for the community. They dont fight for causes accept the shareholders value!
a scathing indictment of Coca-Cola's operations in Africa. Sums it up, thanks and noted Hans
Boycott Coca Cola!
Warm regards to all
Murdering union organizers in Columbia with impunity apparently wasn't enough. Thanks, I didn't know about this change and did need a reminder of why I won't drink their products.
I do not drink coke my self because they are not good for you to drink any way. I have not been drinking their product for a long while an I feel one hundred per cent better. Boy cotting them will be real easy for me. I think drinks like that is not good for us to drink at all so for all I care they can be taken off the market. They are never honest any way an they should not go to other people's countries an damage their crops an take their water that they need for their way of life. They will never learn it is all about the mighty dollar is the way they see it. They could give a care about the people they are hurting!!
So glad I don't drink the stuff, and I don't knowingly buy anything that enriches their coffers. I'm still angry about their corrupt meddling in South America. Got to do some research on this name change matter.
God, first my redbull and now my coke. If this keeps up I will be eating and drinking healthy! Coke used to have it's bottling companies in the USA but like others, shipped jobs out of the country. So now I have 3 reasons to boycott their products. Bears, Enviroment, Eurasia and Jobs out of country. Oh well, you guys, you are changing my entire life style
Its unethical and dishonest to change the name against the people they serve the most. I gladly boycott.
I am in agreement, something need to be done on this issue. How can Coca-Cola show clear disrespect to minorities thought changing the name. I will gladly boycott.
This is a great example of the corrosive influence Coca-Cola feels about black "culture" and the no-talent trash they must feel about blacks for them to change the name. There a shame, that the black community in America is in general an abysmal failure, with a staggeringly high number of unwed, Hiv, uneducated, underage females getting pregnant and criminal males being incarcerated? Blacks will continue to fail disproportionately until they realize that their own morally bankrupt culture is far and away their worst enemy. I am glad Coca-Cola changed the name.
I am in agreement with you brother, Coca-Cola has a high disregard for all black people, which is very clear with the name change.
You guys are idiots, there needs to be a boycott, minorities are a hugh consumer of Coca-Cola Products.
I believe a boycott is necessary.
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