Swire Coca-Cola Creates COO Role, Hires Industry Vet To Lead Sales Organization

DRAPER, Utah--Swire Coca-Cola, USA announced two changes to its executive leadership team. These changes come as the company completes a period of intensive growth, resulting in a quadrupling of the size of the company. 

With this rapid expansion comes the need to evolve the company’s senior leadership structure. To that end, effective immediately, Paul Lukanowski will move from his current position as Senior Vice President and General Manager to become Swire’s first Chief Operating Officer. Lukanowski has been with the company for 22 years. In this critical new role Lukanowski will lead current business priorities while exploring new opportunities for development and investment. He will also assess and build upon the company's capabilities to ensure it remains on a path of accelerated growth. 

In announcing the newly created COO position and Lukanowski’s promotion, Swire Coca-Cola CEO and President Jack Pelo stated, “For over two decades Paul Lukanowski has been instrumental to the success of Swire Coca-Cola. In this expanded role he will focus on the entirety of our business, looking for ways to improve our overall efficiency and effectiveness. Paul’s drive for success and unparalleled knowledge of our industry will serve us well.” 

Additionally, effective July 1, 2018, Rob Gehring will assume Lukanowski’s previous role as Senior Vice President and General Manager. Gehring joins Swire Coca-Cola after serving as Global Chief Sales Officer for The Hershey Company. At Swire, Gehring will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s sales operations and capabilities, food service on-premise, customer relationships, revenue growth management, and marketing. 

With over 25 years of consumer product goods experience, Gehring led Hershey's customer-focused organization to drive profitable growth globally and deliver sales numbers across all business segments, retail channels, and global customers. He also led sales operations for Hershey. 

Gehring is also a longtime veteran of the Coca-Cola System. He previously served as President of the Walmart Global Team, leading the global customer team managing the relationship with Walmart and Sam’s Club and the respective Coca-Cola franchise bottlers in 28 countries. Gehring had held several other roles within the Coca-Cola System, including Vice President of Sales in the Canadian and Western U.S. business units. 

“We are excited about the energy and experience Rob Gehring will bring to Swire,” said Pelo. “He is familiar with our business, our customers, our markets and our people. In anticipation of these important changes we have put a detailed transition plan in place to ensure both Paul and Rob move into their new roles successfully and quickly.” 

Swire Coca-Cola has become one of the nation’s largest beverage companies with a presence in 13 states in the Western United States. Swire employs over 6,700 employees operating out of 47 sales centers and six production plants. 

“This is an exciting time for Swire Coca-Cola,” concluded Pelo. “The promotion of Paul Lukanowski and the hiring of Rob Gehring will strengthen our company in ways that will continue to build upon our company's vision, values and mission.” 

About Swire Coca-Cola, USA 

With revenues of $2 billion, Swire Coca-Cola, USA produces, sells and distributes Coca-Cola and other beverages in 13 states across the American West. The company’s territory includes parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. With over 6,700 employees and headquarters in Draper, Utah. Swire Coca-Cola, USA is a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited (HKSE: 00019/00087) (www.swirepacific.com). For more information, visit us at: www.swirecc.com.