Coca-Cola names Monster executive to lead North America operations

Coca-Cola and Monster jointly announced Friday that Rob Gehring, 59, will leave Monster to become Coca-Cola North America president on Dec. 1, 2026. He succeeds John Murphy, interim president since Aug. 1, who remains CFO and president. Gehring will be responsible for North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He previously was CEO of Swire Coca-Cola USA, joined Monster in 2024 as chief growth officer, and became CEO of Monster's Americas business in February 2026. Coca-Cola CEO Henrique Braun said, "Rob is a transformational leader whose exceptional ability to develop and lead people, combined with his deep operations experience, has made him a trusted partner across our system." Braun said, "I am pleased to welcome him back to Coca-Cola and look forward to partnering with him to grow our business in North America." A Coca-Cola press release called him "part of the leadership team that drove the company's growth agenda and modernized commercial capabilities." Coca-Cola posted Q2 net sales growth of 7% with North America volumes up 3%. Monster posted Q2 net sales growth of 20%. Coca-Cola shares are up more than 25% year to date; Monster shares are up more than 12%. No contested facts appear in the record.