The Coca-Cola Company has announced the appointment of Luis Felipe Avellar as president of its Africa operating unit, effective September 1. Avellar, currently leading Coca-Cola’s Mexico operations, will succeed Luisa Ortega, who will transition to a new role as president of the company’s Europe operating unit.
Avellar will be based in Johannesburg and report to Henrique Braun, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Coca-Cola Company.
“Luis has had an outstanding career that has included extensive leadership roles in our Latin America operations,” said Braun. “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 brings more than two decades of experience within Coca-Cola and other multinational firms. He joined Coca-Cola in 2002 as a finance specialist in Brazil and later held various leadership roles, including general manager of the Brazil South Region in 2016.
In 2019, Avellar moved to Johannesburg to serve as vice president and general manager for Southern Africa. He returned to Latin America in 2021 to lead the Brazil and South Cone operations and was appointed president of the Mexico business in 2023.
Before joining Coca-Cola, Avellar worked in the finance function at SC Johnson in Brazil. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and an executive MBA in finance from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School in Spain.
His return to Africa marks a continuation of Coca-Cola’s strategic focus on leadership with regional experience and global perspective.