The Coca-Cola Company announced Wednesday that Henrique Braun will become its next CEO, effective March 31, 2026. Braun, the company's executive vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed longtime CEO James Quincey, who will transition to executive chairman after nine years leading the beverage giant, according to an announcement from the company."I’m honored to take on this new role and have tremendous appreciation for everything James has done to lead the company," Braun said in a statement. ...

Market Strategy & Consumer Preference - Coca-Cola is aligning with consumer preferences for sugar-based sodas as opposed to high fructose corn syrup options [1][2] - The company aims to capitalize on the preference for cane sugar Coke, potentially inspired by experiences in markets like Mexico [5] - Coca-Cola plans to introduce brand extensions with cane sugar, likely at a premium price in select markets to create exclusivity [3] Ingredient & Supply Chain Economics - The choice of ingredient depends on the ability to capture a premium price that offsets the higher cost of cane sugar compared to heavily subsidized high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) [4] - Coca-Cola's supply chain was built around HFCS due to corn subsidies in the US [4] Innovation & Product Portfolio - The introduction of cane sugar Coke is part of Coca-Cola's broader innovation efforts [3]