Cheer Leader

CHRISTINA RUGGIERO, CEO, HINDUSTAN COCA-COLA BEVERAGES (HCCB), PROMISES TO HONE PROCESSES AND OFFER READY SUPPLY OF THE BEVERAGES IT MAKES.

- Jayashree Kini Mendes

FEW FIRMS ARE AS DEFINED BY A SINGLE product as Coca-Cola. Even fewer firms are as widely known as the dark sweet beverage and its 'contour' bottle. In reality, Coke (as it is popularly known), the drink, has spread far beyond populated civilisation and into the domains of every newer geographies. Today, the behemoth continues its march looking for new territories to colonise with several more brands under its umbrella. It is also one of the few companies that has been through war and peace since starting operations in 1886.

In India, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), as it is called, is the fifth largest FMCG company that owns and operates 21 factories. Besides this, it sources from and supports 11 contract packing plants, has a network of 4,000 distributors and two million retail outlets. Any investment by HCCB is always positive news for a country rife with economic challenges.

HCCB needs the large number of plants as it manufactures and distributes Coca-Cola, Sprite, Maaza, Fanta, Thums Up, Limca, Smartwater, Minute Maid range of juices, Kinley and Bonaqua and Schweppes packaged water, Schweppes soda, mixers and Gingerale, Aquarius, Kinley soda, and Georgia tea and coffee. Such a wide array has pushed HCCB to newer ambitions. It has set itself a target to reach $2.5 billion in revenue by 2020. Achieving this called for processes and organisational changes, which is what CEO Christina Ruggiero has set out to do. She took office in June last year after HCCB’s earlier CEO, T Krishnakumar was elevated to the role of president India and South West Asia for Coca-Cola.