A Closer Look at Coca-Cola's Leadership

The Coca-Cola Company (NYS: KO) is seemingly on top of the world. Its brand power is indisputable, and its global presence is massive. But increasingly fierce competition pops up and threatens the cola titan. I've created a premium report on Coca-Cola to help investors examine the company's future.

Below is an excerpt from the report, which highlights Coca-Cola's leadership. It's just a sample of one section, but we hope you find it useful.

Leadership
Muhtar Kent has been CEO since July 2008, and brings a wealth of company experience. Since 1978, he's held various leadership roles in marketing and operations for Coca-Cola. Despite a volatile global macroeconomic climate, Kent's tenure as CEO has coincided with a reinvigorated long-term global growth initiative, a recent two-for-one stock split, and a 70% total return for shareholders.

In 2011, Kent received approximately $29 million in total compensation, representing 0.06% of the company's gross revenues that year. By comparison, PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple, and Diageo CEOs received nearly 0.03%, 0.02%, and 0.02%, respectively, of their companies' respective gross revenues that same year. From 2010 to 2011, Kent's total annual compensation rose 17%. During this time, shareholders saw a 10% total return. Kent's incentive structure is tied to the company's unit case volume growth and earnings-per-share growth. In 2011, global volume grew 5%, and comparable EPS grew 10%.

As a testament to Coca-Cola's leadership, longtime major shareholder Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns nearly 9% of the company's outstanding shares, representing the largest holding of Berkshire's portfolio.

Looking for more help?
That was just a small taste of our new premium report on Coca-Cola. If you're trying to figure out whether the company is a buy or sell, the report is an indispensable resource for investors seeking more information. Also, the report comes with updated quarterly guidance so you'll stay in the know. To get started, simply click here.

The article A Closer Look at Coca-Cola's Leadership originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Nicole Seghetti has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Berkshire Hathaway, Diageo plc (ADR), and The Coca-Cola Company. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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