There’s breaking news out of Coke’s Venturing and Emerging Brands unit (VEB) today, as Coca-Cola Co. CEO Muhtar Kent announced in an internal memo that Deryck Van Rensburg, who has run VEB since its inception, will become the President of the newly created Coca-Cola/Keurig Ventures, a joint venture formed as a result of Coke’s recent multimillion dollar investment in Green Mountain Coffee Co.
He will be replaced as President and General Manager, Venturing & Emerging Brands for North America by G. Scott Uzzell, who had. been running VEB’s recently-acquired Zico coconut water brand.
The change is part of a series of changes at VEB; marketing VP Darren Marshall recently departed for a similar position at venerable piano maker Steinway & Sons in New York, while in December, Chuck Muth assumed a position heading a sales team that combined the forces of several of VEB’s brands.
The promotion to President represents a highly triumphant return to the system for Uzzell, who had left to take over a key position at Zico in the year before VEB closed on the deal that gave it complete ownership of the company. When he returned in the fall, it was as EVP and COO of Zico.
In his new role, Van Rensburg will be responsible for introducing Coke’s global brand portfolio within Keurig’s forthcoming Keurig Cold at-home beverage system. He will report to Kent, while Uzzell will report to Sandy Douglas, the President of Coca-Cola North America.
Kent did not mention a new leader at Zico or what the changes will be at VEB. More to come.