Martin Kadzere Business Reporter
BUSINESS executive Mr Nathan Kalumbu has made history by becoming the first Zimbabwean to head the Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group, the company announced yesterday. The Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group comprises 85 countries. Mr Kalumbu’s promotion as president of the Eurasia

and Africa Group is part of various leadership appointments that Coca-Cola has made globally as it moves towards supporting the company’s new global operating structure, effective January 1 2013.

Currently, Mr Kalumbu is the president of the Central, East and West Africa business unit.
Previously, Mr Kalumbu held various positions with the Coca-Cola Company since joining the company in 1990. He began his career as regional external affairs manager in Central Africa, before moving into marketing operations and country management roles in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

He also held the position of executive assistant to the South Africa division president and contributed to the growth of the Coca-Cola business as regional manager for Central Africa and Nigeria.
In 2004, Mr Kalumbu was appointed business planning director and executive assistant to the retail division president of North America. He returned to the Africa

Group as director of business strategy and planning for the East and Central Africa division in 2006.
He served as president, East and Central Africa business unit prior to his current position.
Mr Kalumbu is also the chairman of Coca-Cola Juices (Kenya) and a director of Coca-Cola Shanduka Beverages Ltd in South Africa, both of which are joint ventures of the Coca-Cola Company in Africa.

He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation.
Mr Kalumbu holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Emory University in the United States and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies from the University of Zimbabwe.

Executives of some Coca-Cola business units that will be reporting to him include Mr Kelvin Balogun, currently general manager for Nigeria, who will also succeed Mr Kalumbu; Curt Ferguson — head of Middle East and North Africa; Therese Gearhart — South Central Africa; Galya Molinas — Turkey, Caucasus and Central Asia; and Zoran Vucinic — Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.