New Coca-Cola chief picks Irishman for senior position

Coca-Cola's new chief executive Mr Neville Isdell has named Irishman Mr Irial Finan as president of bottling investments in his first strategic move since taking over the company at the start of the month.

Mr Finan, a 23-year veteran of Coca Cola's bottling system, will oversee operations at the group's in-house bottling operations and manage its equity investments in outside bottlers in the newly-created post.

The 46-year-old Roscommon native stepped down only last year as chief executive of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, a job in which he succeeded Mr Isdell.

A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola said the appointment showed the importance Mr Isdell placed on the company's bottling investment.

"This is the first time as a company that we have had a senior executive who is charged with optimising our bottling investments," said Mr Isdell.

"Our operating leaders will now be free to devote their full attention to marketing, innovation and relationship-building efforts in all of our markets."

Mr Finan will report directly to Mr Isdell in his new post. The two men know each other well from Mr Isdell's time in charge of European operations. He also preceded Mr Finan as chief executive at Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company.

Mr Finan is expected to serve on the boards of some of Coca-Cola's bottlers and co-ordinate board representation with others. The general managers of the Coke-owned bottlers will report to him.

Analysts said the move was a sign that Mr Isdell recognised the importance of having a senior executive managing relations with bottlers in its more than 200 markets around the world.

"It's a very smart move," said Mr John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest, a leading industry newsletter.

"Irial is a highly-regarded bottling operations executive, so it puts one of the system's best bottling executives in charge of the company's bottling operations," Mr Sicher said.

Mr Finan was appointed a director of Eircom ahead of its recent return to the stock market.