Coca-Cola appoints Rob Gehring as North America president

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The Coca-Cola Company has appointed Rob Gehring as president of its North America operating unit, effective 1 December 2026.

Gehring will succeed John Murphy, who has led the operating unit on an interim basis since August. Murphy will continue in his roles as president and chief financial officer of The Coca-Cola Company.

Gehring, 59, is returning to Coca-Cola following a tenure at Monster Energy Company, where he most recently served as CEO, Americas. He took on the role in February 2026, overseeing Monster’s operations across North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Prior to joining Monster, Gehring held a number of senior positions across the beverage and consumer goods sectors.

He began his career within the Coca-Cola system in 1992 in sales and marketing, subsequently holding roles across the US and Canada. Between 2011 and 2016, he served as president of Coca-Cola’s Walmart global team.

Gehring then joined The Hershey Company in 2016 as global chief sales officer, leading its global customer organisation and retail channels.

In 2018, he returned to the Coca-Cola system as COO of Swire Coca-Cola USA before becoming president and CEO. During his tenure, he oversaw bottling operations across 17 states and more than 8,000 employees.

Gehring joined Monster Energy in 2024 as chief growth officer before becoming CEO, Americas, earlier this year.

Commenting on the appointment, Coca-Cola CEO Henrique Braun said: “Rob is a transformational leader whose exceptional ability to develop and lead people, combined with his deep operations experience, has made him a trusted partner across our system. I am pleased to welcome him back to Coca-Cola and look forward to partnering with him to grow our business in North America.”

Gehring has previously served on the Executive Bottler Advisory Board of Keurig Dr Pepper and the American Beverage Association. He holds a degree from Arizona State University.

The appointment comes as Coca-Cola continues to manage a portfolio spanning sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages across more than 200 countries and territories.