11/10/2011
In a lecture at Sabancı University, The Coca-Cola Company CEO Muhtar Kent discussed a wide range of issues from global economic growth to creating opportunities out of crises and the importance of gender equality for the economy.
The Sabancı University School of Management hosted an event with The Coca-Cola Company CEO Muhtar Kent as the keynote speaker. Held on Monday, October 3rd, the conference was hosted by Sabancı University School of Management Dean, Professor Nakiye Boyacıgiller. Also attending were Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı and President Professor Nihat Berker.
Muhtar Kent’s discussion points included ‘globalization and the private sector’, ‘the changing role of the private sector’, ‘new rules in competition’, and ‘the significance of globalization trends for the youth and its possible impact on their future plans’. Arguing that the world needed a strong engine for growth right now, Kent said that if China appears to be slowing, that did not bode well for a quick global recovery. Kent added that North America and Western Europe were in for a long and mixed recovery, this being less so for Eastern Europe and for many of the “crisis unaware” in parts of Latin America, Africa, and Central and South Asia.
Muhtar Kent continued, “Whether it's a financial crisis, or a geopolitical crisis, or an energy crisis, or an environmental crisis - turbulence will be the new norm throughout this decade. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, either. I believe that for every headwind we confront there’s an equally powerful tailwind to be ridden. The trick is finding it.”
Muhtar Kent emphasized that the world was seeing the rise of both the most sophisticated and engaged youth generation, and the most affluent and mobile over-40 population the world has ever known.
Muhtar Kent also discussed Coca-Cola’s new initiatives for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and said, “Two weeks ago we announced a global partnership with U.N. Women to help advance this effort to provide new business training, mentoring and access to financial resources to women-owned businesses across our Coca-Cola value chain. We believe this initiative will help create not only stronger suppliers and retailers for Coca-Cola, but stronger communities everywhere we operate.”
Muhtar Kent concluded his lecture by saying, “As the world desperately looks for ways to restart and reset the global economy, the solution lies right in front of us. Gender equality is simply ‘smart economics.’ Sabancı University, of course, knows this better than most and it’s the reason why you've established a Gender and Women’s Study Forum, and it’s why 40 percent of the students here are women.”
The lecture was followed by questions from the floor.
At the end of the conference, Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı presented Muhtar Kent a commemorative brick as a symbol of the university
