• The Coca-Cola Company has a somewhat complex matrix organizational structure with geographic divisions, product divisions, business-type units, and functional groups.
• Coca-Cola has a total of six business segments, with four of these geographic divisions and the remainder business-type units for the company’s acquired brands and bottling operations. In 2021, the company introduced 9 new business units to eliminate the duplication of resources and introduce new products more quickly.
• Product-based divisions help Coca-Cola manage a portfolio of approximately 200 brands, while there are also various functional groups to support business operations in multiple departments.

Origin story

The Coca-Cola Company was founded in 1892 by Asa Griggs Candler who purchased a beverage brand and recipe from pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. After three short years, Coca-Cola was available in every state in the union.

Today, the Coca-Cola brand is one of the most valuable in the world and is available in all but two of the world’s 195 countries. To manage its vast global operations, the company has a somewhat complex matrix organizational structure with geographic Divisions, product divisions, business-type units, and functional groups.

Interested in learning more about how this gigantic company is structured? Let’s delve into the details below.

Geographic divisions 

The Coca-Cola Company is structured according to four Geographic Divisions not unlike other companies with similar reach. 

These divisions, which the company calls segments, are:

1. Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
2. Latin America.
3. North America, and
4. Asia Pacific.

Business-type units

The company also has two non-geographic divisions which it also calls segments:

1. Global Ventures (GV) – this was a unit that was created after Coca-Cola acquired coffee chain Costa Ltd in 2019. Today, the Global Ventures unit houses any other brand, acquisition, or investment the company feels it can scale globally. This includes energy drinks, juices, smoothies, and tea.
2. Bottling Investments Group (BIG) – incorporating all company-owned bottling operations. At present, these facilities are located in parts of Africa, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

Effective January 1, 2021, the company also introduced nine new business units to eliminate the duplication of resources and allow new products to be introduced more quickly.

Business units are also based on geography and include:

1. North America.
2. Latin America.
3. Europe.
4. Africa.
5. Eurasia and Middle East.
6. Japan and South Korea.
7. Greater China.
8. ASEAN and South Pacific. 
9. India and Southwest Asia.

Operational leaders of all geographic divisions and business-type units report to current President and COO Brian Smith.

Product-based divisions

Product-based categories help Coca-Cola manage its portfolio of around 200 brands. These categories include:

• Coca-Cola.
• Sparkling Flavors.
• Hydration, Sports, Coffee and Tea.
• Nutrition, Juice, Dairy, and Plant, and
• Emerging.

Each category is led by a President who works across a networked organization to build Coca-Cola’s brand. Each also reports directly to the Chief Marketing Officer.

Function-based groups

Coca-Cola has a number of specialized function-based groups where the organization itself is divided according to shared employee skill sets and experience.

Functional groups include:

• Marketing.
• General Counsel. 
• Security.
• Investor Relations.
• Global Community Affairs.
• Global Finance Operations.
• Mergers & Acquisitions.
• Services Operations. 
• Global Flavor Supply.
• Communications, Sustainability, and Strategic Partnerships.
• Technical and Innovation.
• Accounting.
• Corporate Development.
• Securities and Capital Markets.

Read Next: Coca-Cola’s Business And Distribution, Coca-Cola Mission Statement and Vision, Coca-Cola Competitors, What Does Coca-Cola Own?, Coca-Cola PESTEL Analysis, Coca-Cola SWOT Analysis, Coca-Cola Vs. Pepsi.

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