Driving Workforce Innovation!
The beverage industry is integral to global consumer markets, continually shaping preferences and innovations in how products are developed, distributed, and consumed. As consumer demand evolves, so does the industry’s focus on sustainability, workforce development, and technological advancements to ensure long-term success. Companies are now investing in leadership programs and talent development to build a resilient and adaptive workforce. These shifts highlight the growing need for comprehensive human resources strategies that emphasize both employee growth and company culture. With a greater focus on creating supportive environments, the industry’s future relies on nurturing talent and maintaining a competitive edge.
Christine Motherwell, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Coca-Cola Consolidated, is leading such transformative efforts within her organization. With her passion for empowering people and shaping organizational culture, she has consistently driven initiatives that prioritize the well-being and development of Teammates. Her leadership approach, marked by empathy and strategic foresight, has been important in aligning human resource functions with broader business objectives. Under her direction, programs centered on leadership development and employee engagement have created a workplace culture where Teammates can thrive, cultivating innovation and collaboration.
At Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the U.S., Christine’s vision for HR has played a key role in shaping the company’s people strategy. With a focus on building a “Teammate-first” culture, the company has developed initiatives aimed at growing its 17,000+ employees across 14 states and the District of Columbia. Through leadership programs, experiential learning, and educational opportunities, Coca-Cola Consolidated has built a workforce that is agile, committed to excellence, and that lives it’s Purpose – To honor God in all they do, to serve others, to pursue excellence, and to grow profitably. The company’s dedication to employee growth and team engagement has contributed to its recognition as a top employer and a leader in the beverage industry.
Let’s delve into Christine’s advanced HR initiatives at Coca-Cola Consolidated:
Passion for Leading People
Christine has spent 17 of her 21 years in the Coca-Cola system leading people in various roles. Therefore, when it came to leading HR at Coke Consolidated, she considered it a natural transition. After all, leading people is what HR is about. Helping Teammates be their best so they can achieve their best is what Christine is most passionate about.
Creating a Teammate-First Culture
Christine is currently the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc., reporting to the President & COO, Dave Katz. Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest US Coca-Cola Bottler and is a publicly held company (NASDAQ: COKE).
Christine is responsible for the People Strategy, where she supports Teammates at every stage of their career and oversees HR functions like Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, and Employee & Labor Relations.
In order to empower the company’s Teammates to unlock their potential, Christine and her team work with all functions across Coca-Cola Consolidated to offer a wide range of learning experiences and resources. They continuously strive to ensure Teammates have the tools, resources, training and development, and feedback they need to grow and thrive in the company.
Investing in Leadership Development
At Coca-Cola Consolidated, there is a strong commitment to investing in the development of leaders. A custom curriculum is targeted at developing and growing Teammates at each stage of their career, from first-time leader to senior leader. Their impact and influence on the work experience of their direct reports is highly important, and there is a dedication to investing in leaders so that they are properly equipped to lead, train, and develop their team.
Christine and her team are dedicated to creating the next generation of diverse Servant Leaders. As part of that goal, they created Accelerated Leadership Development programs aimed at high-potential talent across five levels of leadership.
She and her team also established the Foundation of Leadership program focused on the 1,600 “critical middle” leaders who head up frontline Teammates. This program is an essential component in the cultivation and readiness of leaders as they manage operations throughout the company’s 14-state territory. And it’s working.
In addition to the creation of the Accelerated Leadership Development and Foundation of Leadership programs, the Coke Consolidated HR team ensures Teammates at all levels of the company have access to specialized experiential learning centers where they can actively engage in developing their skills through practical experiences.
They’re also invited to participate in the Aspiring Leader program, which allows Teammates to learn at their own pace through an online journey that builds and develops their core skills and competencies.
The company’s HOPE scholarship program supports eligible Teammates and their immediate family members in pursuing additional educational opportunities, including a two- or four-year college degree, license, or certification, and to promote personal and professional development and growth.
The HR team also presents the company’s employee value promise through its ‘be’ statements – be supported, be empowered, be developed, be inspired, be rewarded, and be connected.
It excites Christine to see the success rate of leaders who have participated and gone on to achieve greater roles within the company thanks to these numerous educational opportunities.
Beyond career opportunities, Coca-Cola Consolidated has also established veteran, women, and young professional resource groups as a part of the company’s Seat at the Table framework. These groups give Teammates additional avenues for support, networking, and mentoring.
Integrating HR into Business Operations
Christine is passionate about her team integrating themselves into the business, fully understanding who they support and how to best support them. The ultimate goal is for HR to be seen as a true partner with a Seat at the Table. They are there to support Teammates and leaders not just when there is a problem but in thoughtful, strategic planning for the future of the business. She believes this mindset breeds a culture of excellence..
Valuing Employees and Proactive Leadership
She is honored and humbled to work for a company that truly values its employees. This enables her, as the head of HR, to lead and support Teammates, the company, and the culture in a proactive, thoughtful manner, with full support from the Executive Leadership Team. What she finds most rewarding is investing time and resources into creating a meaningful experience where Teammates feel they are supported and can grow their careers.
“It comes back to my passion for running an HR department focused 100% on never forgetting who they serve: the Teammates,” says Christine. “I hope I’ve taught and challenged my team on how to do that. I know they can produce the best policies and procedures the more they seek to understand. A front-facing, engageable HR team is the legacy I hope to leave behind.”
Flexibility and Agility in HR Leadership
From Christine’s perspective, HR professionals today need to be agile, quick on their feet, and flexible. The employee environment is changing swiftly, and HR needs to be prepared to respond and support while also helping their company and leaders stay ahead of the change. Being a strategic thought leader is essential for the HR leader of today and tomorrow.
Managing Distractions and Priorities
Christine is often quoted saying, “I do believe you can have it all; you just can’t have it all at the same time.” By this, she means that life occurs in seasons, with each season allowing for varying degrees of flexibility. It is about making choices, prioritizing what is most important, and focusing on that without letting distractions interfere.
Continuous Professional Development in HR
She takes a multifaceted approach to staying updated on the latest HR trends, as she believes most HR professionals do. Christine is constantly reading books and articles, is a member of multiple professional HR organizations, partners heavily with both in-house and external legal counsel, and networks with peers both inside and outside her industry. She considers herself a lifelong learner and enjoys studying the profession.
First-hand knowledge of HR
She believes it is essential to truly understand the business being supported. The best way to achieve this is by spending live, physical time partnering with the business, listening, and learning. This first-hand knowledge enables HR professionals to offer top-tier partnerships and support to Teammates, leaders, and the business because they genuinely understand it.
Growth and Development Opportunities
Christine’s long-term aspirations align with her short-term goals, focusing on Teammates. Attracting them to work at the company through competitive and innovative recruitment campaigns and strategies; retaining those Teammates once they arrive through top-tier onboarding and training from well-developed, purpose-led managers; and growing Teammates while they are here with access to training, development, and growth opportunities. This approach is enough to fill the year and many years ahead!
Coca-Cola Consolidated considers itself to be a learning organization that empowers Teammates with experiences and resources — and a pathway for career progression, thanks to the help of leaders like Christine.
Commitment to Developing Servant Leaders
Coca-Cola Consolidated’s dedication and commitment to developing the next generation of diverse Servant Leaders has yielded favorable outcomes and enhanced team engagement. Through the evaluation of readiness and internal mobility, it was found that 42% of the individuals in the Accelerated Leadership programs have either been promoted or have seen their work’s scope and scale grow.
Furthermore, key middle managers involved in the Foundations of Leadership program have advanced in rank or expanded their leadership duties. In addition, a yearly engagement assessment is carried out, executed, and evaluated by an external third party to measure team member contentment and involvement, as well as the success of development and reward initiatives.
The responses from this survey offer important information to leadership regarding team members’ perceptions of the company and how their experience, job performance, satisfaction, and retention rates can be enhanced. The Manager Category continues to appear in the Top 3 most favorable categories, maintaining an overall Manager favorability score between 78 and 80%.
Coca-Cola Consolidated was named to the 2024 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list by Fortune and the 2024 “America’s Most Successful Midsize Companies” list by Forbes. These awards are a direct reflection of the hard work of the 17,000+ Teammates who passionately serve each other, customers, and communities every day. Coca-Cola Consolidated is truly honored to be included among these high-performing companies.
“Being recognized by these esteemed organizations demonstrates our ongoing commitment to excellence,” said Christine. “It is also demonstrating the drive of our Teammates, who make Coca-Cola Consolidated a great place to work and grow your career.” She added.
