The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) announced today that Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company has been elected to serve as co-chairman of the Board of Directors. The Board’s other co-chairman is Anglo American plc’s former Chairman Sir Mark Moody-Stuart.

Kent sees collective action as a critical evolution in development and global health, and joins GBC at a time when the Coalition, which has made significant advancements on that front, has bold plans for advancing a collective action agenda.

"The Coca-Cola Company and other businesses are taking deliberate steps to stop the spread of these diseases and get treatment to those who need it. But we know we can be far more effective working together than working alone. GBC and its members are defining that path forward," said Kent. "The Coalition plays a critical role as a coordinating force at the intersection of the public and private sectors. I want to do what I can to help advance that role."

"Muhtar Kent brings to GBC not only The Coca-Cola Company’s outstanding reputation as a company dedicated to doing good, but also his personal commitment to the health and success of his employees and the communities around the world that the Coca-Cola system is a part of," said Coalition President and CEO John Tedstrom. "I am thrilled to welcome him to the GBC team and look forward to partnering with him to take the Coalition and our work to new heights."

"I’m delighted that Muhtar Kent will be joining me as co-chairman of GBC’s Board of Directors," said Sir Mark Moody-Stuart. "His and his company’s commitments are extraordinary, as are their accomplishments in disease eradication. I welcome Muhtar, and look forward to working with him."

Kent, who previously served as a member of GBC's Corporate Advisory Board, is a leading advocate for integrating sustainable and socially responsible practices into long-term business strategies. By making this core business philosophy an integral part of the company’s vision, The Coca-Cola Company creates sustainable communities, and by extension, a sustainable business.

With operations in more than 200 countries, The Coca-Cola Company employs 1 million people around the world, through its direct workforce as well as the 300 bottling partners that comprise its broader supply chain. Mr. Kent has championed the concept of deeply embedding these philosophies in the culture of the entire Coca-Cola system as a critical component of good business practices.

In 2008, Mr. Kent was one of more than 100 leading international CEOs who signed a Coalition-organized pledge against workplace HIV stigma and discrimination. The Coca-Cola Company’s HIV/AIDS Policy seeks to reduce the risks that the disease poses to its employees and their families, and includes components on confidentiality, non-discrimination, education and support, and testing and treatment.

In 2007, the Coalition awarded one of these suppliers, Coca-Cola China Beverages Limited, with its Business Excellence Award for work in the Community. A leader in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, Coca-Cola China executed national campaigns in 2005/2006, which reached 71 million people in more than 200 cities across the country. In addition, Coca-Cola China built upon a trip to South Africa by China’s Ministry of Health by partnering with the Yunnan Provincial Women and Children Development Center in initiating an AIDS Orphan Care program which provides support and care to AIDS-impacted orphans from 75 villages across the region.

Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a coalition of more than 220 companies united to keep the fight against these epidemics a global priority. The Coalition provides tailored support so that companies can take an active role in defeating the pandemics. The Coalition also organizes collective actions among companies and links the public and private sectors in ways that pool talents and resources. The official focal point of the private sector delegation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Coalition maintains offices in New York, Paris, Johannesburg, Beijing, Nairobi and Moscow. For more information visit: http://www.gbcimpact.org

GBCHealth

GBCHealth

GBCHealth is the preeminent organization focused on business engagement in support of meeting global goals for health. Its vision is health equity and a global business community that contributes its assets, skills, influence and reach to create a healthier world for employees, their families, and communities. GBCHealth works with companies worldwide and with the United Nations, governments, academia, civil society & others. In September 2022, GBCHealth launched future united, a global initiative harnessing the power of the private sector to fight for - and achieve - health equity, tackle the impact of climate change on health, and address antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.

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