Uber poaches CocaCola’s Rebecca Messina as head of marketing

Rebecca Messina

The world’s largest ride-hailing platform, Uber, said it has appointed Rebecca Messina as its head of marketing.

Rebecca Messina is a CocaCola marketing veteran who will be holding the position of Uber’s chief marketing officer, a role that will see her overseeing marketing for Uber as it gets ready for an initial public offering that is expected to take place next year.

Her appointment is also a sign that Uber is poised to take on experienced hands as the company transit into a bigger scale.

It would be recalled that Uber had announced last month that it appointed Nelson J. Chai, former CEO of Warranty Group, will be its new chief financial officer after a long search.

Prior to joining Uber, Messina was global chief marketing officer at spirits company Beam Suntory, a position she had held since 2014. Before that, she spent 22 years at the Coca-Cola Company, where her last role was senior vice president of marketing and innovation for ventures and emerging brands.

In Uber’s announcement, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said “I’m thrilled to welcome Rebecca to Uber. She’s exactly the right leader to build our marketing efforts globally and to showcase the ways Uber is igniting opportunities for our customers around the world.”

In her own statement, Messina said “Joining Uber is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a true privilege. My focus has always been on three things: people, growth and brands. Uber checks all three boxes: a rapidly growing global business, with the opportunity to build an iconic brand alongside a team that’s committed to transforming the future of mobility. I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead.”

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