Roberto Crispulo Goizueta: 1931-1997: Businessman, Chemical Engineer Biography - Born Into Cuba's Social Elite, Left Family Business For Coca-cola, Climbed The Corporate Ladder
company
Roberto Crispulo Goizueta: 1931-1997: Businessman, chemical engineer.
Roberto Goizueta was a Cuban American chemical engineer who chose to forge his own destiny with the Coca-Cola company rather than simply work for his father. He began his career with the company as a production supervisor for Coke plants in Cuba and he worked his way up the corporate ladder to become the company's chief executive officer. Goizueta ran the Coca-Cola company from 1981 until his death in 1997. During his tenure he turned the company's stagnating soft drink business into an internationally recognized and extremely profitable enterprise. The company's value increased almost $150 billion under Goizueta's leadership and he became one of the wealthiest Hispanics in America.
Additional Topics
Roberto Crispulo Goizueta was born on November 18, 1931, in Havana, Cuba. He was the oldest of three children, and the only son, born to Crispulo and Aida Cantera Goizueta. His grandparents on both sides of his family had emigrated from Spain to Cuba in the late 1800s. His mother's father, Marcelo Cantera, owned a profitable portion of a local sugar mill. His father, Crispulo, was an archit…
After graduating from Yale, Goizueta moved back to Havana to marry his high school sweetheart. Goizueta and Olguita were married on June 14, 1953, at the Church of the Sacred Heart, the most elegant church in the city. As expected, Goizueta went to work as his father's assistant, preparing for the day when he would take over his father's business. Goizueta only lasted a year in this …
Although Goizueta and his family were uprooted, he was fortunate to still have a job with Coca-Cola. The family settled in Miami and Goizueta became the assistant to the senior vice-president of Coca-Cola for Latin America. He commuted to his office in Nassau, Bahamas and he oversaw technical operations for soft drinks, coffee, and tea in the region. In 1964 Goizueta was relocated to the Coca-Cola…
On June 2, 1980, Goizueta won a political battle within Coke's management to become the company's next president, 26 years after he had responded to the newspaper add to work for the company in Cuba. On March 1, 1981, Goizueta was elected by the board to the company's number one position, chair and chief executive officer. Goizueta quickly set the company on a course of aggres…
Despite occasional bumps in the road, Goizueta's overall strategic plan for revamping the Coca Cola company was a success. When Goizueta assumed leadership of the company, the share value of Coke was $4.3 billion. By the end of his reign, that number had increased to more than $152 billion. As a share-owner in Coke, Goizueta's personal wealth increased as his company profited. By 199…
Citing this material
Please include a link to this page if you have found this material useful for research or writing a related article. Content on this website is from high-quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased, factual, and accurate information.
Highlight the text below, right-click, and select “copy”. Paste the link into your website, email, or any other HTML document.
User Comments