Roberto Goizueta (pronounced Goh-SWET-a), a native of Cuba, was appointed president of the Coca-Cola Company May 30th, 1980. Goizueta had started as a chemist with Coca-Cola, and in fact was one of the people who actually knew the formula.
Roberto Goizueta introduced Diet Coke in 1980. After the "Pepsi Challenge" the company decided to change the formula, because more people preferred Pepsi to Coca-Cola. But the New Coke became flopped and the company brought back the original Coke as Coca-Cola Classic.
On October 18th, 1997 Roberto Goizueta died at the age of 65 from complications arising from his fight with cancer.
Douglas Ivester, an exaccountant who has been with Coca-Cola for many years has been appointed the new President. Mr. Ivester has been described as a soft-spoken, intensely competitive and aggressive leader.
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