He returns to the company in December 2026 after a working at Monster Energy Company, as CEO, Americas, a position he assumed in February 2026.
Gehring succeeds John Murphy, who has led the North America operating unit on an interim basis since Aug 2026. Murphy remains president and chief financial officer.
The position became available as Jennifer Mann EVP and President of North America revealed she was to step down after 29 years at the company. She remains with the company until April 27 to ensure a smooth transition.
While at Monster Energy Gehring had responsibility for the organization’s North America, Latin America and Caribbean operations and was part of the leadership team that drove the company’s growth agenda and modernised commercial capabilities.
Gehring began his career at Coca-Cola system, working in sales and marketing in 1992. He served in roles of increasing responsibility across the United States and Canada and drom 2011 to 2016, he served as president of the Coca-Cola Walmart global team.
In 2016, Gehring joined The Hershey Company, where he led the company’s global customer organization, including retail channels, as Global Chief Sales Officer.
In 2018, Gehring was initially appointed COO, then promoted to President and CEO of Swire Coca-Cola USA where he led bottling operations across 17 states with more than 8,000 staff.
He joined Monster Energy Company in 2024 as Chief Growth Officer.
Gehring’s previous board roles include serving on the Executive Bottler Advisory Board of Keurig Dr Pepper and the American Beverage Association. He holds a degree from Arizona State University.
“Rob is a transformational leader whose exceptional ability to develop and lead people, combined with his deep operations experience, has made him a trusted partner across our system,” said Henrique Braun, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
“I am pleased to welcome him back to Coca-Cola and look forward to partnering with him to grow our business in North America.”