The Coca Cola Company names new leader for sparkling flavors category

March 13, 2024
The company announced that Santiago Iturralde, a former executive at Unilever, became president of the sparkling flavors global category.

The Coca‑Cola Company announced that Santiago Iturralde, a former executive at Unilever, became president of the Sparkling Flavors global category, Feb. 23.

In this role, Iturralde will focus on growing the sparkling flavors category, led by the Sprite and Fanta portfolios. He will be based in Dublin and will report to Global Chief Marketing Officer Manolo Arroyo.

Iturralde succeeds Jasmin Vinculado, who has led the sparkling flavors category since 2021. Vinculado is leaving the company to pursue other interests effective April 30 after a 17-year career with Coca‑Cola.

Iturralde worked at Unilever from 1995 to 2023 and brings a strong track record of delivering growth across a variety of consumer products categories and brands in developed and developing markets. Most recently, he served as executive vice president of the global deodorants category and Axe Masterbrand. Unilever’s global deodorant category includes well-known brands like Degree, Rexona, Axe and Dove.

Iturralde is a native of Argentina who holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration from the Universidad de Palermo in Buenos Aires.