Mumbai: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) has announced Juan Pablo Rodriguez as the new general manager and chief executive officer for HCCB.

Rodriguez, currently the chief commercial officer for the Bottling Investments Group (BIG), will take over from current chairman and CEO Neeraj Garg, who is retiring in 2022. The transition will begin in September 2022.

"In the last two years, Juan Pablo has led the BIG Commercial team in achieving significant growth ambitions, transforming our channel strategy, and ensuring we continue to win in the market through capability-building and portfolio innovation. He is a 22-year veteran of the Coca-Cola system with a proven track record of leading teams and driving sustainable growth across markets," HCCB said in a statement.

Neeraj Garg took over the responsibility of HCCB in 2020 and has played a significant role in continuing the growth story of the company, including delivering some of the best financial results ever, stated the company.

"Throughout his career, Neeraj has brought to life his passion for people development by being an active mentor for talent across The Coca-Cola Company," BIG president (The Coca-Cola Company) Murat Ozgel said. "He has played a key role in championing strong end-to-end business management capabilities in teams and growing talent across markets. I would like to thank him for his contributions to the HCCB team over the last couple of years. He will leave behind a strong legacy."