Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCB), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola Company on Monday announced the appointment of Harsh Bhutani as its Chief Financial Officer. He will lead HCCB’s financial operations, including Business Transformation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Accounting & Controls, Reporting and Analysis, and Risk Management.
This comes at a time when speculation is rife that the company may explore the IPO route for HCCB. Bhutani is currently serving as the Vice President of Finance for the India & Southwest Asia Operating Unit of The Coca-Cola Company.
“With his deep financial and business experience, strategic acumen, inspirational leadership, and proven track record of driving strong financial results, his presence will strengthen HCCB’s financial health, steer strategic decision making and further bolster stakeholder confidence. His relentless work in making finance a strategic enabler of growth and being future-ready is well recognized in the industry. We know he will continue to drive the business forward and will be a great addition to the executive team. I wish him all the best in his new, well-deserved role,” said Juan Pablo Rodriguez, CEO, HCCB.
The company said Bhutani will be returning to HCCB after a successful tenure in Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, where he played a key role in achieving double-digit growth on a year-on-year basis.