The Future of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

Julie Hamilton Elected as New Board Chair and Jane Hale Hopkins Named President-elect

 

Exciting changes are afoot as we begin the fourth decade of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation with two new leaders. Recently, the Foundation’s Board of Directors elected a new Chair and designated its next President. Julie Hamilton, Global Chief Customer and Commercial Leadership Officer and Senior Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company, has been elected Chair of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Board of Directors, and Jane Hale Hopkins, Executive Vice President at the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, has been named President-elect to succeed current President, J. Mark Davis.

Julie Hamilton joined the CCSF Board of Directors in 2015 and was elected as Chair on August 1, 2017. A respected leader at The Coca-Cola Company, she has served in a variety of sales, marketing, and operational positions since 1996.

“Few people are as prepared to lead as Julie Hamilton. Over the course of Julie’s career with Coca-Cola, she has taken on some of the toughest assignments and gained invaluable perspective on being a leader. I am excited to see the energy and thoughtfulness Julie will bring to the Scholars Foundation. By her example, our Scholars and the Foundation staff will see authentic leadership in action. Congratulations, Julie,” said Jack Pelo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Swire Coca-Cola, USA, and Vice-Chair of the CCSF Board of Directors.

In her current role, Julie works closely with and supports the Company’s global customer partners while building commercial strategies and customer capabilities across the global system. Julie brings a deep appreciation and understanding of the Company’s global customers and the strategies that must be executed in the market every day to ensure that the Company’s customers, bottling partners and the Company itself all thrive and grow.

“Julie Hamilton brings tremendous leadership to the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Her experiences throughout her career allow her to guide the Foundation as it enters its next decade. She is passionate about the impact Coca-Cola Scholars can bring to their communities and our society. With Julie as our new Chair, we are poised to take a great leap forward,” said J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

“As a Coca-Cola Scholar alum, I am incredibly grateful that Julie has accepted this leadership role for the Foundation. She is someone who throughout her career has been a model for so many of us: tireless hard worker, champion of diversity and inclusion, thoughtful mentor and leader, always looking for ways to give back and make a difference in the world. In these ways and so many more, Julie energetically embodies the Coke Scholars spirit and I look forward to supporting her and learning from her,” said Sue Suh, 1992 Coca-Cola Scholar and member of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Board of Directors.

Also earning the confidence of the board, Jane Hale Hopkins was named President-elect of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation on August 1, 2017. She will assume the role of President upon J. Mark Davis’s retirement in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Propelling the mission of the Foundation forward since 2001, she has served as Vice President of Finance and currently Executive Vice President. In this role, Jane is responsible for advancing the Foundation’s efforts to develop an influential community of socially-conscious and service-minded leaders who positively shape the world. She is also Chair of the Board for Emerge Scholarships in Atlanta.

“Jane is a passionate executive who has the brains, the heart, and the tenacity to take the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation to the next level. Her wise counsel and hard work will serve all our Scholars and alumni for years to come,” said Mary Kathryn Steel, 2003 Coca-Cola Scholar and Coca-Cola Scholar Alumni Advisory Board Emeritus.

“Jane Hopkins has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and its programs. For the past 17 years, she has developed an increasing level of responsibility and leadership. We are extremely fortunate to have her take on this role. She brings powerful skills and tremendous grace to the role and she will be a catalyst for growth. We are delighted to see the impact she will have on our many constituents,” said J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

Jane will serve as only the third President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation upon Mark’s retirement after his 30-year tenure.

“On behalf of the 6,200 employees of Swire Coca-Cola, I am so pleased to congratulate Jane Hopkins on her appointment to President of the Scholars Foundation. In addition to her knowledge of and enthusiasm for the Scholars Foundation, Jane will bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the great work already being done. I look forward to working with you, and am confident that the future of the Foundation is in great hands,” said Jack Pelo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Swire Coca-Cola, USA, and Vice-Chair of the CCSF Board of Directors.

 

 

 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation celebrates and empowers visionary leaders who are refreshing the world. With its 29th class of Coca-Cola Scholars, the Foundation has provided more than $63 million in scholarships to 5,877 program alumni who together have become a powerful force for positive change. Learn more at www.coca colascholars.org.