Coca-Cola appoints Lidia Ponce de Leon as country manager

Lidia Ponce de Leon takes over as Coca-Cola Ireland country manager, succeeding Amruta Vaidya following her move to Romania

The Coca-Cola Company has announced the appointment of Lidia Ponce de Leon as country manager of Coca-Cola Ireland.

Ms Ponce de Leon will be responsible for leading the growth of the company locally and for product marketing for the company’s portfolio of brands in Ireland. She replaces Amruta Vaidya, who was recently appointed as country manager for Coca-Cola in Romania.

In her new role, Ms Ponce de Leon will work closely with Coca-Cola’s bottling partner, Coca-Cola HBC, to continue to drive sustainable growth across the island of Ireland, strengthen the company’s brand portfolio and deliver innovative experiences for consumers and customers.

Ms Ponce de Leon brings significant experience in brand development, business growth and franchise operations, with a multidisciplinary career spanning consumer brands, retail and hospitality. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, she held a number of roles focused on brand expansion and business development in Spain. Within Coca-Cola, she has previously served as Director of Franchise Operations in Ireland before returning to Spain, where she most recently held the role of senior director of Franchise Operations.

Commenting on her appointment, Lidia Ponce de Leon, country manager, Coca-Cola Ireland, said: “I am proud to take on the role of country manager for Coca-Cola Ireland. Ireland is animportant market for Coca-Cola, with a proud history, fantastic brands and strong relationships with our customers, partners and communities across the country. Ireland also plays a significant role within the company’s global operations.

I’m looking forward to working with the talented team in Ireland and our bottling partner Coca-Cola HBC to build on that strong foundation. Together, we will continue to put consumers at the heart of what we do, grow our portfolio and bring innovative and memorable brand experiences to people across Ireland.”

The Coca-Cola system, comprising The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partner Coca-Cola HBC, employs around 1500 people across the island of Ireland.

Coca-Cola has a long-established presence in Ireland and, together with Coca-Cola HBC, continues to invest in its brands, people and communities while supporting progress in areas including packaging collection, recycling and product reformulation.