CEOs from the Coca-Cola company and Alibaba group to lead the Consumer Goods Forum Board of Directors

PARIS — The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), the global body pursuing purpose and positive change across the consumer goods industry, announced that two new Co-Chairs have been elected to its Board of Directors: Daniel Zhang, Chairman & CEO of Alibaba Group, and James Quincey, Chairman & CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. The announcement was made after the Board of Directors meeting held during this year’s Global Summit, which is being held virtually for the first time.

The pair will lead the CGF Board for two years and replace outgoing Co-Chairs Özgür Tort, CEO of Migros Ticaret, and Emmanuel Faber, former Chairman & CEO of Danone. In addition, Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, and Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, were appointed Vice Co-Chairs.

James and Daniel take over the Co-Chair roles following a challenging period brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic and an increasing need for companies to show consumers, employees and investors that they are proactively addressing today’s sustainability, health and safety challenges. The CGF has also gone through its own strategic shifts with the creation of eight Coalitions of Action.

James Quincey, Chairman & CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, said, “I am honoured to join the Board of CGF, a unique organisation that works to protect the planet and its people. Özgür and Emmanuel have done a tremendous job and I look forward to building upon their work to drive sustainable solutions to the challenges we face as an industry. Together with Daniel and the CGF Coalitions of Action, we will be working against an ambitious agenda to build a better shared future for all.”

Daniel Zhang, Chairman & CEO of Alibaba Group, said, “I am honoured to be the first-ever Co-Chair of the CGF Board from a multinational company born in China, and I want to thank my peers on the Board for their vote of confidence. Under Özgür’s and Emmanuel’s strong leadership, CGF has engaged a greater array of stakeholders and placed greater emphasis on implementation support.”

Reflecting on his time as Co-Chair, Özgür Tort, CEO of Migros Ticaret, said, “Sustainability and efficiency have gained even greater importance and relevance for us all during the pandemic. In a period of uncertainty, we provided service without limits. As a new era dawned, we were proactive in reinterpreting our practices to make them relevant in the new reality. Within the CGF, we set up eight separate Coalitions of Action, each with its own mission and a remit to create a sustainable world and bring about positive change.”