Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE/Euronext Paris: CCE) today will discuss its
plans and outlook with analysts and investors at the Barclays
Back-to-School Conference in Boston at 9:45 a.m. ET. The public can
access the presentation through the company’s website, www.cokecce.com.
Manik 'Nik' Jhangiani (Photo: Business Wire)
John F. Brock, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and
Bill Douglas, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will
deliver the remarks. In the presentation, CCE will affirm its current
2013 full-year guidance. CCE will also highlight that, effective
November 1, 2013, Manik ‘Nik’ Jhangiani will become chief financial
officer. Recently, Bill Douglas assumed additional responsibility for
CCE’s supply chain organization and, following Nik’s appointment, Bill
will continue to lead that organization reporting to Mr. Brock.
“This evolution in our leadership team demonstrates our deep bench of
management talent. Bill’s experience, background, and capabilities will
be valuable to our supply chain team and Nik is a talented finance
executive who has a wealth of experience in the Coca-Cola system, making
him a strong successor. Bill will remain a key member of our executive
team and has been an outstanding partner to me. We have guided CCE
through some of the most eventful years in our history, and generated
significant shareowner value. While our leadership team evolves, our
focus on and commitment to driving shareholder value remains,” Mr. Brock
said.
FULL-YEAR 2013 OUTLOOK
CCE now expects 2013 comparable earnings per diluted share in the upper
half of the previously stated range of $2.45 to $2.50, including a
modest positive currency translation impact of less than 1 percent at
recent rates. Full-year net sales are expected to grow in a low
single-digit range versus prior year. Operating income is expected to
grow in a low to mid-single-digit range. Guidance for net sales and
operating income is comparable and currency neutral.
As previously announced, CCE began a new $1.5 billion share repurchase
program in January 2013, and the company expects to repurchase at least
$1 billion of its shares by the end of 2013. The company also expects
its year-end net debt to EBITDA ratio to be within its long-term range
of 2½ to 3 times, reflecting the impact of its plan to return cash to
shareowners and incremental optimization of its capital structure. These
plans may be adjusted depending on economic, operating, or other
factors, including acquisition opportunities.
The company now expects 2013 free cash flow of approximately $500
million after including a year-over-year increase in cash restructuring
expenses in a range of $100 million to $125 million. Capital
expenditures are now expected to be in a range of $300 million to $325
million. Weighted average cost of debt is expected to be approximately 3
percent and the comparable effective tax rate for 2013 is expected to be
in a range of 26 percent to 28 percent.
CFO TRANSITION
Mr. Jhangiani will become chief financial officer effective November 1,
2013. Nik, currently vice president, European finance, has over 25 years
of experience in global finance and business leadership. During his
career he worked at both Coca-Cola Hellenic and The Coca-Cola Company.
In his 10 years at Coca-Cola Hellenic, Nik held several senior finance
leadership positions, including five years as CFO. Prior to joining CCE,
Nik was CFO of Bharti Enterprises, one of the largest Indian
multi-national companies with revenues of more than $15 billion. He also
has worked at other multi-national organizations, including
Colgate-Palmolive, Bristol Myers, and Deloitte & Touche.
Mr. Douglas joined the Coca-Cola system in 1985, contributing leadership
skills in a number of European senior management roles, including chief
financial officer of Coca-Cola Hellenic. Bill joined CCE in 2004 and has
served as CCE’s chief financial officer since 2005. As CFO, Bill oversaw
the 2010 transaction that transformed CCE into a European operating
company, enabling a return of more than $6.5 billion in cash to
shareowners in the following years.
ABOUT CCE
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE) is the leading Western European
marketer, producer, and distributor of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink
beverages and one of the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers.
CCE is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company
in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the
Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. We operate with a local focus and have
17 manufacturing sites across Europe, where we manufacture nearly 90
percent of our products in the markets in which they are consumed.
Corporate responsibility and sustainability is core to our business, and
we have been recognized by leading organizations in North America and
Europe for our progress in water use reduction, carbon footprint
reduction, and recycling initiatives. For more information about our
company, please visit our website at www.cokecce.com and follow us on
Twitter at @cokecce.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Included in this news release are forward-looking management comments
and other statements that reflect management’s current outlook for
future periods. As always, these expectations are based on currently
available competitive, financial, and economic data along with our
current operating plans and are subject to risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from the results
contemplated by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking
statements in this news release should be read in conjunction with the
risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2012 and other SEC filings.
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