J. Paul Austin
| J. Paul Austin | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
February 14, 1915 LaGrange, Georgia, United States |
| Died | December 26, 1985 (aged 70) Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Known for | President, CEO and Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company (1962 - 1981) |
J. Paul Austin (February 14, 1915 – December 26, 1985) was President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company. From 1962 to 1981 Austin oversaw the growth of the company from $567 million in sales to a $5.9 billion global force, an unprecedented growth that has not been replicated.
John Paul Austin was born on February 14, 1915 in LaGrange, Georgia. His father was an executive at Callaway Mills. Austin was educated at Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
Austin attended Harvard University for undergraduate studies and graduated in 1937 with a degree in Liberal Arts. While at Harvard he was a member of the rowing team and competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Austin graduated from Harvard Law School in 1940.
During World War II Austin was a Naval Intelligence Officer. He served on a PT squadron in the Pacific and was uninjured in the friendly fire incident involving PT-346 in April 1944. Austin achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and received the Legion of Merit.
Austin had an unmistakable physical presence, described as 6 feet 2 inches tall and athletic, with broad shoulders and a shock of red hair. In addition to his native English, Austin spoke French, Spanish and Japanese, and could read Italian.
Paul Austin was working at the New York law firm of Larkin, Rathbone & Perry when he joined the legal department at Coca-Cola in 1949. Austin began in Chicago where he supervised the buying of bottling plants. He spent five months working at various positions in the plant and as a route salesman. To Austin, this was a path to success in the business.
In Chicago, Austin met Jeane Weed, who was working for Coca-Cola as a secretary. They married in July 1950 and had two sons.
In 1950 Austin was named assistant to the president of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation. In 1954 Austin moved to Johannesburg, South Africa to oversee Coca-Cola’s operations in Africa, serving as vice president of the export unit. In 1958 Austin returned to Georgia and was named executive vice president of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation, then president in 1959. In May 1961 Austin was elected executive vice president of The Coca-Cola Company.
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