“Now Turkish executives have begun to be noticed”

Muhtar Kent is the President and CEO of the global giant Coca Cola. He is regarded as one of the leading candidates for the post of CEO. He says that other Turkish executives can achieve the success that he has enjoyed. “It is important not to think that we have never produced a CEO, what matters is to be in a position to influence critical decisions. I see a great potential for Turkish executives in this regard,” he said.

The first and only Turkish professional to have reached the highest position in a global giant is Muhtar Kent. Last year Kent was appointed President and COO of Coca Cola, the largest soft drinks company in the world, and he is expected to be appointed to the highest position in the company in the next few years.

So, how did Muhtar Kent come to this position?
Kent was born in New York in 1953. At the time, his father Necdet Kent was the Turkish Consul General. His father’s profession meant that he spent his childhood in New York, Bangkok, India and Tehran. He graduated from Tarsus American College. When it came to university, even though his father wanted him to become a doctor, he studied economics at Hull University. In 1978, after seeing a newspaper advertisement, he went for a job interview at Coca Cola and this is how the story began of a Turkish executive who rose to the highest position in the world.

He served in various sales and marketing positions up to the level of department manager and until 1999 worked in different positions around the world. Between 1999 and 2005 he was president of the Efes Drinks Group. In 2005 the legendary Coca Cola executive Neville Isdell asked him to return to Coca Cola, where he had spent a 29 year career, to serve as Group President responsible for Northern Asia. Eurasia and the Middle East.

He played a leading role in the strong growth recorded by the company in important international markets. In 2006 he was appointed Executive President of Coca Cola International. Isdell noted that 95 percent of the growth of the company in 2006 came in markets which were managed by Muhtar Kent. “Muhtar Kent is a very successful experienced executive who gets results quickly, who is disciplined and works well with bottling partners. For this reason, together with the board of directors, we wanted him to assume a new leadership role and apply our long term growth and strategic decisions,” he said.
Coca Cola President and COO Muhtar Kent, whose rapid rise has captured the public’s imagination in recent years, answered Capital’s questions. He explained how he views business, evaluated the Turkish business world and explained how, in addition to his work, he manages his private life.

* How does it feel to be a Turkish executive at the head of Coca Cola?
* It is a very good feeling, a really beautiful feeling. Coca Cola is a very young 121 year-old brand, a very dynamic, very lively brand. As everybody knows, we Turks are very enterprising, very active people. For this reason, Coca Coal’s dynamic structure is very suitable for Turks.

* Have there been any negative reactions to a Turkish executive heading a global US company? Did you ever have any such feeling?
It is not just Turks, all executives, whatever country they are from, when they enter another country can be a regarded as being outsiders. I mean, this concern is not just confined to being Turkish.

For example, if a Latin American businessman today goes to do business in the Far East or a foreign citizen goes to be an executive in Europe, they may face similar problems. I served as an executive in different countries. America is the most open country when it comes to executives from different countries.
Turkish executives are going from Turkey to other countries, particularly to different offices in companies with foreign partners.

* Do you believe that in the future we may see more Turkish executives and CEOs heading foreign companies?
The number of Turkish executives serving in the middle and higher tiers of management is continually increasing. Being a CEO is something different. There is just one CEO in a company and, when it comes to these positions, it is always an advantage to be a citizen of the country in which the company was founded.

When one looks at it from this perspective, one must not think that it is bad thing that we have never produced a CEO. What is important is to be in positions where one can influence critical decisions. From this perspective, I see a great potential for talented Turkish executives.

* How do you find Turkish executives?
I think that their dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit has resulted in Turkish executives being increasingly noticed in the Western world. I can say that, compared with Europeans who proceed more steadily and with greater deliberation, our business culture is closer to the American mentality. I think that Turkish executives and businessmen are very good when it comes to things such as dynamism and entrepreneurship and the flexibility required to be adapt rapidly to changing conditions.

* Let’s come to the expectation that you will be the new CEO of Coca Cola… What do you think?
My views on this issue are very clear. My priority is looking at how I can better perform the responsibility that I currently have. I try to maintain healthy relations with my executive colleagues who work with those above me, with our business partners and all the personnel at whatever level.

The company’s Board Chairman and CEO Neville Isdell and I have established a very god team and we complement each other.

* What are your thoughts on being in the high-level management of Coca Cola from the perspective of leadership and opportunity for development?
I have served in important positions in Coca Cola in America, in Europe, in Turkey and in Asia. I have gained very important experience in bottling. This is the beauty of the Coca Cola system. It means new information for every country and every market. Now I am trying to apply what I have learned from all these different countries, the methods I have seen used in different markets in the entire world. Whenever I go somewhere, I travel around with our customers, and every day, on every trip I continue to learn new things.

 “My Principe For Success: First You Do What The Task In Hand Demands”

“What were the most important factors in you attaining the level you have reached today?

I Started Out On My Adventure When I Was 26 Years Old.
I have an unchanging principle in my business life. First you do what the task in hand demands. My Coca Cola adventure began when I was 26 years old. After university I completed my masters and military service. I was ready for a career in business. Like all young people I sent my CV to several companies.

I Started At Coca Cola As The Result Of A Newspaper Advertisement
 I came to Atlanta while I was trying to find out which companies were looking for young managerial candidates. This is the city where Coca Cola was born. You find Coca Cola everywhere you look. I liked both the job opportunity we discussed and the city and I started work. I served in positions at various levels. After leaving the company for a few years I returned in 2005.

We Planned Growth With Neville Isdell.
I thought of our opportunities at the time. I spoke with my CEO and close friend Neville Isdell about what kind of growth strategy we should follow. First, in mid-2005 I was appointed president of the North Asia, Eurasia and Middle East Group, which is both the largest in terms of geography and the region with the potential to serve as locomotive for potential growth.

It Was My Successful Decisions Which Brought Me The Presidency
 Our activities in many important countries, such as China, Japan, Russia and Turkey, are run from this group centre. When the decisions we took here proved successful very quickly, I was given responsibility for all of the group’s activities outside North America. In 2006 international markets played a very important role in the company’s growth and in November the board of directors made me Executive President for the entire company.

24 Hours In The Life Of A Global Executive

* Traveling is part of your job… How many times do you fly each month and how do you spend a typical day and week?
Since new year I have also been responsible for our activities in North America, which means that I now spend more of my time in America. But this does not mean that I travel less as there has been an increase in the number of trips I make just in America. Our business is not like the typical going to work at 8 and returning home at 6. In any case, the new communications technology means that you carry your office with you wherever you go.

I try to establish a way of working which is appropriate to wherever the company is active. This can sometimes be a meeting of the board of directors in the meeting room and sometimes in one of our offices in a different country, or in a supermarket in some place around the world. My general principle is to spend more time with our customers, partners and consumers outside the office.

Nilüfer Gözütok
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