The Coca-Cola Company announced today that under a partnership with the American Institute for Managing Diversity (AIMD), Juan Johnson, vice president and director of Diversity Strategies for The Coca-Cola Company, will assume the new role of president of the Diversity Leadership Academy (DLA). Last year, The Coca-Cola Company created the Diversity Leadership Academy of Atlanta through a $1.5 million grant to AIMD. Due to widespread interest in the DLA concept, the Company is partnering with AIMD to expand the DLA programs into other communities nationally and internationally.

The DLA will oversee the operations of the Atlanta Academy while also establishing new centers and programs offering diversity management skills for leaders. The Academy is one of a number of diversity initiatives the Company has implemented under the leadership of Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO Doug Daft.

"The Coca-Cola Company's commitment to diversity extends beyond the Company and into the communities of which we are a part," said Mr. Daft. "As a result, we continually seek opportunities to partner with and support others who are committed to diversity, and we are especially interested in expanding the work of the DLA beyond Atlanta.

"Juan has made enormous contributions to our ongoing activities to ensure that The Coca-Cola Company benefits from the full diversity of backgrounds, talents and perspectives available to us. This new role will allow many other organizations, companies, educational and non-profit institutions to benefit from Juan's passion and leadership in the important area of diversity. And, importantly, this innovative arrangement with AIMD allows The Coca-Cola Company to accomplish its objective of supporting a much broader list of communities and community leaders," said Mr. Daft.

Mr. Johnson, who will continue as a vice president of The Coca-Cola Company and a member of Mr. Daft's staff while serving as the new organization's president, said, "We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the Academy in Atlanta. However, a number of organizations in other parts of the country, and even outside the United States, have expressed interest in the DLA program. I am pleased and proud to be able to play a role in my Company's effort to reach many more people and help address diversity issues more broadly. This reflects the depth of commitment to diversity of The Coca-Cola Company and our CEO, Doug Daft."

Roosevelt Thomas, Founder and President of AIMD said, "We are thrilled to have an executive of Juan's caliber join us to lead the DLA initiative. With this move, Coca-Cola is expanding on its already noteworthy commitment to diversity and I hope the Company's actions will serve as a model for other organizations."

The Company also announced that Charlene Crusoe-Ingram would succeed Juan as vice president, Diversity Strategy and Culture, reporting directly to Mr. Daft. In this role, Ms. Crusoe-Ingram's responsibilities include Diversity Training, Mentoring, Employee Forums, Cultural Awareness activities and celebrations and leadership of the Company's $1 billion Empowerment and Entrepreneurship program. She will also lead activities and relationships with various outside groups including The College Fund.

Carl Ware, executive vice president and co-chair of the Company's Diversity Advisory Council said, "Charlene brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this assignment. I have worked closely with her on the Diversity Advisory Council and look forward to continuing to work with her as we build on the strong foundation we have established."

Ms. Crusoe-Ingram currently is senior vice president for Organization and People Strategy for Coca-Cola North America. In addition to providing overall management of the function, she led several key initiatives that directly supported business needs. These include development of "Connecting with Customers," a new approach to selling for the business and bottlers in North America; creation of an intranet platform that supports employee development; and a new Coca-Cola internship program in partnership with The College Fund and The Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

"Charlene will provide important leadership as we move forward to maximize the synergies of our various initiatives and build on the innovative and creative strategy that Juan and our Diversity Advisory Council have developed," said Mr. Daft.

"I am proud of the significant progress we have made in such a short time," added Mr. Daft. "With these moves, we will continue to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, both internally and externally, that is second to none. We are fortunate to have talented executives like Juan and Charlene to lead these important endeavors."

Coca-Cola Company, The

Coca-Cola Company, The

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1.4 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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