John M. Farrell, IM 76, of Atlanta, on April 29. He began his career with the Coca-Cola Company in 1979 with the company’s bottling operations. Over the next 34 years, he held various behind-the-scenes positions with Coca-Cola North America; led Region Management in Japan; served as president of Coca-Cola China; served as president of Schweppes Beverages; served as director of business development and strategy for Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East; and led the corporate strategy and planning function for the Japan Business Unit. Most recently, he returned to Atlanta as the company’s vice president and chief strategy officer and helped orchestrate The Coca-Cola Company’s 2020 Vision and current global planning process. But one of Farrell’s most notable career accomplishments may be sitting in your fridge right now: In the 1980s, while with Coca-Cola North America, he and three colleagues developed Diet Coke, now a multi-billion dollar brand. Farrell also served on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Brother: Jim Farrell, IM 79.
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