Rob Gehring, the head of Monster Energy’s Americas business, is to become president of Coca-Cola’s North America unit in the latest senior move between the two drinks companies.
Gehring will take up the role on December 1, Coca-Cola and Monster Beverage said. He joined Monster’s leadership team as chief growth officer in 2024 and assumed his current position in February.
His appointment comes as Coca-Cola seeks to sustain growth while US consumers face higher petrol and grocery costs. The company reported a 7% rise in net sales in the second quarter, with volume in North America, a key measure of demand, increasing by 3%.
Monster Beverage, which is considerably smaller than Coca-Cola, recorded 20% net sales growth in the same quarter. Its performance has been driven in part by innovation in the energy drinks market.
Coca-Cola has also been developing drinks outside its traditional fizzy drinks portfolio, including refreshers and dirty sodas.
In a statement, Coca-Cola said Gehring had been “part of the leadership team that drove the company’s growth agenda and modernized commercial capabilities”.
Before joining Monster, Gehring was chief executive of Swire Coca-Cola USA, a major bottler of Coca-Cola products in the western United States.
Coca-Cola shares have risen by more than 25% this year, while Monster’s stock has gained more than 12%.
