Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The
Coca-Cola Davos Reception Remarks
Davos, Switzerland
January 27, 2011
As prepared for delivery
Good evening, everyone.
It's great to see so many old friends and new friends with us tonight.
On behalf of the 700,000 associates of the
This year's World Economic Forum gathering has special significance for
The theme of the 2011 meeting - Shared Norms for a New Reality - really speaks to the idea of how do we take the best of our respective heritages and legacies and apply them to the new world that's out there in front of us.
That's exactly the conversation we're having at
When we look at what's worked best for us over the past century and a quarter, it's not been about a single big-bang product innovation... or a new marketing breakthrough... or even a bullet-proof business model.
No... the secret to our "secret formula" has always been the power of the relationships and partnerships our people have forged all around the world over these years.
Relationships with our community and government leaders... with our educators... media... cultural influencers... bottlers... suppliers... retailers... and, of course, with our billions of consumers.
Please allow me to recognize two such partners who are with us tonight. From the UN World Food Program, we're honored to have Executive Director Josette Sheeran and members of her team with us.
And from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, we're honored to have Secretary General Bekele Geleta and his team.
The power of partnership is what has allowed
The power of partnership is also why we come to Davos each year.
This meeting is about putting ideas and partnerships into action.
Last year, for instance, we gathered here just a few weeks after the tragic earthquakes ravaged Haiti.
I had several meetings with leaders from business, government and civil society who all expressed innovative ideas about how to best come to the aid of Haiti.
Because of conversations we had right here at Davos last year, we were able to launch our Haiti Hope Project to create opportunity for 25,000 Haitian mango farmers and their families.
At the very heart of this $9.5 million dollar, five-year project is the vision to double the income of these struggling farmers - while contributing to the long-term development and revitalization of Haiti.
With this last spring's launch of Haiti Hope Mango Lime Aid, we began the process of turning this vision into action.
We are indebted today to the i ncredible support we've received from our partners in this coalition - including the government of Haiti, the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, the International Development Bank, Technoserve and our bottling partners in Haiti, among others.
They truly represent the power of business, government and civil society putting their energy, passion and commitment behind a cause that's greater than any of our individual parts.
One of our earliest and most ardent supporters of this initiative is our special guest speaker tonight, President William Jefferson Clinton.
President Clinton is a leader whose voice we listen to and respect. A leader who also lends more than his voice... he lends his hand and his heart to the world.
A year ago, he was among the first responders in Haiti, helping deliver food, water and supplies as Special Envoy to the United Nations.
President Clinton also teamed up with President Bush to establish the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, and he continues to monitor relief efforts in Haiti.
These and countless other humanitarian actions over the years, including the remarkable work being advanced by the Clinton Global Initiative, are truly part of the President's DNA.
He's a man with a strong intellect... a leader with an incredible bias for action... and friend with unlimited compassion.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 42nd President of the United States, The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton.
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