Novelty is not a matter of doing ten things differently, but doing the same thing in ten different ways. And when it comes to bringing novelty and innovations to one's work, there are few professionals who can match the calibre of John Ustas, CEO, Coca-Cola India, Bottling Operations. Probably, this is the reason in a recent restructuring exercise, the US cola giant appointed him to the top post of its bottling operations in India. Ustas, who took over the charge in July 2005, brought with him 23 years of invaluable experience in the beverage industry across the US and Europe.

He holds a BS in finance from Northeastern University and an MBA from Pace University. Before taking his new assignment, Ustas was the Managing Director of Coca Cola Drikker AS, the company's Norway bottling operations. Prior to that, he had worked in the Coca-Cola system in North and Central America as well as Europe for 14 years. During his tenure in Norway, he also served as the chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway. Known as a team motivator, Ustas will now report directly to Steve Buffington, regional director of Latin America and Asia for Bottling Investment.

While announcing Ustas' appointment, the president of Bottling Investments of the Coca-Cola Company, Irial Finan, said in a statement, "This move will help us strengthen our management team in India and appropriately position us to capture a new level of success in one of our most important long-term markets." Certainly a befitting tribute to Ustas's multi-faceted talent. In fact, prior to Ustas's appointment, Sanjeev Gupta, as Coca-Cola India president, handled both the bottling and the marketing operations of the beverage giant. Of the 50-odd Coke bottling plants in the country, 24 are company-owned and with Ustas heading it, he is sure to bring efficiency and high productivity to the unit.

In fact, almost all the goods and services required to produce and market Coca-Cola in India are made locally, sometimes with the help of technology and skills from the Company. The complexity of the Indian market is reflected in the distribution fleet, which includes 10-tonne trucks, open-bay three-wheelers that can navigate the narrow alleyways of Indian cities. And add to this, a streamlined manufacturing and bottling plant, headed by Ustas, which would give a fillip to its vast marketing network. Although, the company's second quarter results were quite a dampener, the spirit is not. With a person like Ustas, who is here to make a difference, there is no stopping him adding fizz to Coco Cola's business in India.