The Coca-Cola Company has announced the appointment of Tapaswee Chandele as its new Global Chief People Officer, with her assumption of office taking effect from May 1, 2026.
The leadership transition was confirmed on April 14, 2026. Chandele succeeds Lisa Chang, who is stepping down after seven years in the role. Chang will remain with the company as a senior advisor until the end of 2026 and will also join the board of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Chandele will report directly to Coca-Cola’s Chief Executive Officer, Henrique Braun, as she takes charge of the company’s global human resources and people strategy function.
Brandspur Brand News reports that her elevation marks a continuation of an internal leadership pipeline, with Chandele emerging from within the organisation after more than two decades of service across multiple global roles.
Before her appointment, she served as Senior Vice President and Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Financial Officer, John Murphy, a role she assumed in May 2025. Prior to that, she led Global Talent, Development and HR System Partnerships from 2019 to 2025, where she oversaw worldwide talent strategy and workforce development systems.
Chandele joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2001 in India, beginning her career in human resources before progressing through several leadership positions across Türkiye, South Africa, and later the United States in 2017.
Her experience spans talent management, organisational development, and global HR transformation, positioning her as a long-serving internal executive with deep institutional knowledge of the company’s operations.
In addition to her executive responsibilities, she currently serves on the board of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages in India and is also a board member at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.
Academically, Chandele holds an MBA in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management in India. She also earned a Master of Science in Biochemistry and Clinical Nutrition from Seth G.S. Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital, alongside a Bachelor of Science degree from Sophia College for Women.
Her appointment reflects Coca-Cola’s continued preference for leadership continuity and internal talent development, with Chandele described as a key architect of the company’s global people and talent strategy over the past several years.
