Coca-Cola appoints Luis Felipe Avellar as President of Africa Operating Unit  | Food Business Middle East & Africa

AFRICA – The Coca-Cola Company has named Luis Felipe Avellar as president of its Africa operating unit, effective September 1. 

Avellar, currently serving as president of Coca-Cola’s Mexico operations within the Latin America unit, will succeed Luisa Ortega.  

Ortega, as previously announced, will take on a new role as president of the company’s Europe operating unit. Avellar will report to Coca-Cola Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Henrique Braun. 

“Luis has had an outstanding career that has included extensive leadership roles in our Latin America operations,” Braun said.  

“Luis also has experience working for our company in Africa, and I’m excited to see him return to Johannesburg to build on the system’s ongoing work to serve the growing African market.” 

Avellar, 49, began his career at Coca-Cola in 2002 as a finance specialist in Brazil. He progressed through various leadership roles in the country before being appointed general manager of the Brazil South Region in 2016.  

In 2019, he became vice president and general manager for Southern Africa, based in Johannesburg. Two years later, he returned to Latin America to lead Brazil and South Cone operations, before being named to his current position in Mexico in 2023. 

His appointment comes as Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) marks nine years since the merger that created the continent’s largest Coca-Cola bottling partner.  

CCBA continues to expand production capacity across the region, highlighting its commitment to Africa’s growth potential. 

Over the past year, CCBA has launched advanced bottling lines in South Africa, Namibia, and Malawi, adding over 108,000 bottles per hour in production capacity. The new lines incorporate advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, to improve efficiency. 

Additionally, CCBA has opened a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flaking plant in Namibia, doubling the capacity of the country’s only mechanical plastic recycler in partnership with Plastic Packaging. 

The company has also outlined plans to invest up to US$175 million in Kenya between 2024 and 2029, contingent on achieving its growth targets in the market. 

Avellar will be based in Johannesburg and is expected to lead the Africa unit through its next stage of operational and market expansion. 

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