Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Terry Leadership Speaker Series will conclude its spring schedule with Jerry S. Wilson, the chief customer and commercial officer for the Coca-Cola Co.Sponsored by Terry’s Institute for Leadership Advancement, Wilson’s lecture will be held March 25 at 10:10 a.m. in room 116 of the Visual Arts Building of the Lamar Dodd School of Art.The event is free and open to the public.
Wilson, a 1978 Terry College graduate, is a board-elected senior vice president of the Coca-Cola Co. In his role, he is responsible for crafting and executing the company’s customer and commercial strategy. He and his team lead Coca-Cola’s global system in building customer relationships, with a focus on best-in-class innovation, retail execution, consumer and shopper marketing, and revenue growth management.
Prior to his current position, Wilson served as president of Coca-Cola’s Global McDonald’s Division, where he led the worldwide organization responsible for growing business alliances in 118 countries representing more than 31,000 restaurants that served 58 million consumers a day.
Wilson has been with Coca-Cola 21 years, rising from an area account executive to senior management. Before his career with Coke, he spent eight years with Volkswagen of America. He is co-author of the book Managing Brand YOU – 7 Steps to Creating Your Most Successful Self.
Wilson is the last of four senior executives who have been invited to address students this school year through the Terry Leadership Speaker Series. Craig Barrs, Georgia Power’s executive vice president for external affairs, spoke in September. Elisha Finney, CFO of Varian Medical Systems, spoke in October. Dan Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, spoke earlier this month.
The Institute for Leadership Advancement is a leadership development unit housed in the Terry College of Business. Its programs stress the importance of principled leadership based on core values and emphasize leadership as a collaborative process and not as a position. The institute’s ultimate aim is to create a new class of leaders who are well trained and ready for responsibility, committed to stewardship and pursuers of excellence, characterized by integrity and defined by purpose.For more information about the Terry College of Business, see http://www.terry.uga.edu/.
