From the green to the boardroom

5 May 2004 By Rob Cox Follow @rob1cox

By pulling its former executive E. Neville Isdell out of retirement, Coke has joined other companies in opting for a safe pair of hands. But as at McDonald’s, Boeing and elsewhere, this hints at the timidity of directors. And it’s not a riskfree strategy either.

This content is for Subscribers only

To access full Breakingviews.com content you must be a subscriber. Please use the following link to request a trial.

Context News

Coca Cola named E. Neville Isdell, 60, a former senior executive, as its new chief executive, replacing Douglas Daft next month. Isdell led Coke's efforts to crack open a handful of new markets, particularly in the developing world, prior to becoming head of one of its biggest bottling subsidiaries, then retiring.

Isdell, an Irish citizen, was chosen after a handful of other outsiders turned down the job, including Gillette boss James Kilts. Isdell was chosen over an internal candidate, chief operating officer Steven Heyer.

Search the Archive

From the green to the boardroom

This content is for Subscribers only

Email a friend

Please complete the form below.

From the green to the boardroom

This content is for Subscribers only

Existing Users Log In

Email a friend

Please complete the form below.