Luisa Ortega appointed as president of the company’s Africa operational unit, with responsibility for markets across the continent
- Ortega replaces Bruno Pietracci, who has been named president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit
The Coca-Cola Company has announced the hiring of Luisa Ortega as president of the company’s Africa operational unit, with responsibility for markets across the continent.
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Ortega is presently the president of the company’s Latin American central zone, which covers Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, the Caribbean and Central America.
As president of the Americas operations division of Coca-Cola, Ortega succeeds Bruno Pietracci. The two changes will go into effect on February 1, 2023 with Ortega relocating to Johannesburg.
Ortega and Pietracci’s immediate boss will be Henrique Braun, who will take over as Coca-Cola’s head of international development on January 1, 2023. Braun has been running Coca-Cola’s operations in America since 2020.
“I’m delighted Luisa will manage our activities in Africa with her knowledge and worldwide skills,” Braun remarked.
“The return of Bruno to his native Latin America, where he possesses extensive market knowledge, makes me happy as well,” Ortega said.
Wide experience
Ortega joined Coca-Cola in 2019 and assumed leadership of the operating unit for Latin America’s central zone in 2021. Additionally, Ortega leads the organization’s Global Women’s Leadership Council as its chair.
Before joining Coca-Cola, Ortega worked with SC Johnson for more than 14 years in various positions in Europe, the US, and Asia Pacific. Additionally, she was employed by Endesa, a utility corporation primarily serving Spain and Portugal.
She graduated with a business administration degree from Universidad Pontificia Comillas, an MBA from IESE Business School in Spain, and participation in Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
Bruno Pietracci joined Coca-Cola in Brazil as vice president of strategic planning and research in 2008.
He joined the team in 2010 and is now in charge of the Southern Brazil region. Later, he was promoted to general manager of Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela markets.
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2016 saw the appointment of Pietracci to the position of vice president of operations for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
He later rose to the position of Africa and the Middle East president before being named the company’s head of business in South and East Africa. In 2021, Pietracci was assigned to lead the operations unit for Africa.
In 2022, he was proposed for appointment to the American President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA).
Pietracci has previously worked in Lisbon and Brazil for McKinsey & Co.
Pietracci has a mechanical engineering degree from Brazil’s Universidade Estadual de Campinas and an MBA from France’s INSEAD.
