The Coca-Cola Company has announced that Luis Felipe Avellar will become the president of its Africa operating unit, effective September 1st 2025. He will report to Coca-Cola’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Henrique Braun.

Avellar currently serves as the president of the company’s Mexico operations, which fall under the Latin America operating unit. He succeeds Luisa Ortega, who has been appointed as president of the company’s Europe operating unit.

“Luis has had an outstanding career with extensive leadership roles in our Latin America operations,” said Braun. “He also has experience working for our company in Africa, and I am excited to see him return to Johannesburg to build on the ongoing efforts to serve the growing African market.”

About Luis Felipe Avellar

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

In 2019, he took on the role of vice president and general manager for Southern Africa, based in Johannesburg. Two years later, he moved back to Latin America to serve as president of Brazil and South Cone operations. In 2023, he was named president of Coca-Cola operations in Mexico.

Before joining Coca-Cola, Avellar began his career in 1998 in the finance department at SC Johnson in Brazil.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and later obtained an Executive MBA in finance from the same institution. Most recently, he completed the Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School in Spain.