Douglas Daft

Global business leader
Inducted 6th December 2006

Douglas Daft was born in Cessnock in 1943, and completed his schooling at South Cessnock Public School and Cessnock High School. Douglas graduated from the University of New England in 1968, and had a brief career as a teacher.

In 1969, Douglas joined Coca-Cola as a planning officer in the Sydney office, and subsequently held positions throughout East Asia. In 1982, he was appointed Vice President of Coca-Cola Far East, and later, in 2000, he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Coca-Cola Company, the only non-US citizen to serve in those positions.

During his time as CEO, Douglas helped establish community and educational initiatives worldwide, including the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, which promotes the development of young Australians through physical, artistic, cultural and other educational pursuits, and the Coca-Cola Mayoral Academic Awards, which help undergraduates from the Cessnock Local Government Area.

Douglas retired from Coca-Cola in 2004, but continued to serve on the boards of major corporations such as Wal-Mart and The McGraw Hill Companies.

He was awarded a Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) in 2005 for service to leadership in the global business community, commitment to corporate social responsibility, contributions in the field of education, and support for community based development initiatives.

---

Plaque location
105 Vincent Street, Cessnock (garden bed)