Coca-Cola HR Chief Steps Down Following CEO Transition
After seven years in the role, Lisa Chang is stepping down as Global Chief People Officer for Coca-Cola.
Describing her years leading the people and culture function at Coca-Cola on LinkedIn as “one of the great privileges,” of her career, Lisa has shared that she has decided to step down following a planned CEO transition.
Tapasawee Chandele, currently Coca-Cola’s Senior Vice President and executive assistant to the President and Chief Financial Officer, will take over as Global Chief People Officer on May 1.
Lisa will remain with the company through to the end of 2026 as a senior advisor to help ensure a smooth transition, and serve on the board of the Coca-Cola Foundation.
A Coca-Cola veteran
Tapaswee first joined Coca-Cola in 2001as a management trainee, before going on to work in various human resources and talent development roles across countries such as India, South Africa and the US, where she has been based since 2017.
From 2019 to 2025, she was the company’s Senior Vice President of Global Talent, Development and HR System Partnerships – where she was responsible for the company’s worldwide global talent strategy and a member of Lisa’s leadership team.
Lisa says: “I’m pleased that the Global CPO role is passing to Tapaswee Chandele, a 25‑year Coca‑Cola veteran and exceptional leader who has been part of my leadership team for several years.
“Developing strong successors is one of the most important responsibilities of leadership, and Tapaswee is ready for this moment.”
Leadership transitions at Coca-Cola
On LinkedIn, Lisa shared that she was “deeply grateful,” for the time she spent working under former CEO James Quincey, who became the company’s CEO in 2017 and ended his leadership tenure in March 2026.
James told CNBC that he had decided to step down to ensure the company was best prepared for the next wave of transformation for the company, saying: “In a pre-AI, a pre-gen-AI mode, we made a lot of progress. But now there’s a huge new shift coming along.”
He continued: “My job is also to think who’s the best team to put on the field to get the next wave done. And I concluded that it was time to put someone else on the field for the next wave of growth.”
He has been replaced by Henrique Braun, formerly the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Having worked at Coca-Cola for more than 30 years, Henrique was unanimously elected CEO by the company’s board – thanks to his global experience and deep ties to the business.
Upon his appointment, Henrique said: “I’m honoured to take on this new role and have tremendous appreciation for everything James has done to lead the company.
“I will focus on continuing the momentum we’ve built with our system. We’ll work to unlock future growth in partnership with our bottlers. I’m excited about the future of our business and see huge opportunities in a fast-changing global market.”
This leadership transition, Lisa says, marks “the right time for me to step into the next chapter of my own career”.