Andres Kiger to depart Coca-Cola China for post in Brazil

Stephen Drummond, who joined Coca-Cola one and a half years years ago as regional director of creative excellence, will fill Kiger’s role, taking responsibility for the development of all of the brand’s future integrated marketing efforts in China.

Kiger (pictured) will be onboard in Coca-Cola's office in Rio de Janeiro in early September.

In his new role he will lead cross-functional teams to create campaigns for all of Coca-Cola's brands and will be responsible for developing platforms that fully leverage upcoming global events including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, both of which will be held in Brazil.

"To survive and thrive in China, managers need to not only accept but also embrace change," Kiger told Campaign Asia-Pacific. "The speed of this market is probably unparalleled  and the ability to manage within these unique conditions will probably help me adapt in what also is a very fast-growing and changing region of the world. Of course, having been involved in other great historical events of global significance, such as the Beijing Olympics, will be very helpful as we prepare for major events in Brazil 2014 and 2016."

As for challenges he'll face in his new role, Kiger cited his lack of fluency in Portuguese. Originally from Colombia, he speaks Spanish, but joked that, "an understanding team and some smart tools such as Google translator will help me survive!"

"I will also need to gain a deep understanding of the local consumer landscape and understand how best to connect our consumers with our brands in new and exciting ways," he said. "While China and Brazil on the surface share some similarities such as the explosion of mobile, social media and a fast-growing middle class, realities in both markets of course are quite unique. And I will need to learn about them and remind myself that China is China and Brazil is Brazil."

Kiger hopes to offer the team in Brazil some perspective as to how the China and Asia markets are rapidly evolving. In return, he also intends to learn about the best practices and capabilities that Coke's teams in Latin America have been building for several years and that have made them very successful. "I fully intend to bring my 12 years of experiences from Asia to Latin America and open two-way bridges so that Asia and Latin America can share and learn from each other," he said.

Reflecting on Beijing 2008, Kiger called it a historical pivot point for the nation, its consumers and, in many ways, the brand landscape. "I expect the same will be true in Brazil in 2014 and 2016," he said. "I am passionate about football and passionate about Coca-Cola. Having the opportunity to work on both is a great responsibility and truly a great privilege."

During his 14 years at Coca-Cola, Kiger has hold diverse roles around the world, including regional manager, licensing, at Coca-Cola Atlanta, licensing director for Africa and Latin America, and director of global merchandise e-Ventures in Hong Kong.

"It has been a true priviledge for me to be able to work with some wonderful people and agencies in China for the last five years," he said. "China is a fascinating story, in the last five years new powerful brands have been created, new technologies uncovered and the relationships between our products and our consumers has become much deeper and interconnected then ever before. It seems that in China these days, each chapter is more intriguing and exciting than the last one. It is like a great book that you don’t want to put on the night table for fear of missing out on the next big thing."