New President of UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe
UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, the European trade association representing the soft drink industry, announced the appointment of Andrew McMillin, President of Western Europe Operations at The Coca-Cola Company, as the new President of the association.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. McMillin stated: “I am honoured to lead UNESDA and represent some of the world’s most loved brands which provide European consumers with great-tasting drinks for all occasions and choices. The soft drinks sector plays an important role in supporting the European economy by providing over 1.8 million direct and indirect jobs, and creating 242 billion euros in value across its supply chain. A recent report established the soft drinks industry is leading innovation in the food and beverage industry [2024 FoodDrinkEurope Data & Trends Report]. During my Presidency I will advocate for enabling EU policies that can further advance our sector’s innovation potential to foster growth, sustainability and resilience for our industry and the European economy.”
Mr. McMillin added: ‘’I welcome the new European Commission’s focus on competitiveness and its commitment to increasing stakeholder dialogue, while keeping environmental sustainability as a cornerstone of its strategy. Now more than ever it is imperative for the EU to implement science-based food policies that support consumers to adopt healthier diets while promoting fairness across the food supply chain.’’
Finally, Mr. McMillin commented: ‘’UNESDA is well-known for being a constructive stakeholder for EU policymakers and I am committed to building on this strong legacy of collaborative policy engagement. I will be working closely with our network of dedicated members and stakeholders, to bring the evolving needs of our consumers and the day to day reality of our operations to the fore in policy discussions, to ensure EU policy making is future proof.’’
Nicholas Hodac, director general of UNESDA, welcomed the new leadership: ‘’I am delighted that Andrew has assumed the presidency of UNESDA, at a time when its membership is growing. I very much look forward to working with him to drive our sector’s actions forward. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to our outgoing President, Peter Harding, CEO of Suntory Beverage & Food International, for his exceptional leadership and unwavering support during his tenure. Peter skilfully guided us through a very dynamic EU mandate, helping us to strengthen our strategic direction and constructive credentials. As we move forward, we will ensure continuity in this important work to realise our priorities.’’.
Andrew McMillin is the President of West Europe Operations for The Coca-Cola Company. He is responsible for delivery of the P&L for the company’s full portfolio in the region, which serves over 350MM consumers in 14 countries. Prior to assuming this role, he was the President and Chief Commercial Officer for Coca-Cola’s North American Operating Unit. Since joining Coke in 2001, Mr. McMillin has held a variety of consumer marketing, commercial and franchise leadership roles including SVP of the Coca-Cola brand portfolio, CMO of the North America Foodservice business, Account leader for Coca-Cola’s Inspire Brands account team, leadership of Coca-Cola’s Walmart / Sam’s marketing team, and oversight of retail shopper marketing function. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Mr. McMillin spent six years with the Ford Motor Company in various brand management and sales roles.
