Onome Amuge
The Coca-Cola Company has named Luis Felipe Avellar as the new head of its Africa operations, a move that sees him return to the continent to lead a key growth market. Avellar, currently the president of the company’s Mexico operations, will succeed Luisa Ortega, who is transitioning to a new role as president of the Europe operating unit.
Avellar will officially assume his new position on September 1, 2025, and will report directly to Henrique Braun, Coca-Cola’s executive vice president and chief operating officer,. The appointment places an experienced executive with a deep understanding of the African market at the helm of the company’s regional strategy.
Avellar, 49, first joined Coca-Cola in 2002 as a finance specialist in Brazil. His career with the company has spanned multiple high-level roles across the globe, including a previous stint in Africa. From 2019 to 2021, he served as the vice president and general manager for Southern Africa, a role that required him to be based in Johannesburg, the company’s Africa headquarters. He later returned to Latin America to lead the Brazil and South Cone operations before being appointed to his current role in Mexico in 2023.
“Luis has had an outstanding career that has included extensive leadership roles in our Latin America operations. His previous experience working for our company in Africa is a significant asset, and I’m excited to see him return to Johannesburg to build on the system’s ongoing work to serve the growing African market,” said Henrique Braun.
Avellar 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 Programme at IESE Business School in Spain. His background in finance and diverse regional leadership experience are expected to be key strengths in leading Coca-Cola’s African business operation.
