J. Paul Austin

J. Paul Austin

John Paul Austin was Chairman, President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company from 1962 to 1981. Austin oversaw the growth of the company from USD 567 million in sales to a USD 5. 9 billion global force. Austin was a Naval Intelligence Officer during World War II.

About J. Paul Austin in brief

Summary J. Paul AustinJohn Paul Austin was Chairman, President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. From 1962 to 1981 Austin oversaw the growth of the company from USD 567 million in sales to a USD 5. 9 billion global force. Austin was a Naval Intelligence Officer during World War II. He served on a PT squadron in the Pacific and was uninjured in the friendly fire incident involving PT-346 in April 1944. Austin had an unmistakable physical presence, described as 6 feet 2 inches tall and athletic, with broad shoulders and a shock of red hair. Paul Austin’s wife Jeane commissioned the tapestry that still hangs in the Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters. The tapestries were incorporated into the design of the executive floors of the building, which are still in use today. Austin retired in 1981 and was succeeded by Roberto Goizueta. He is survived by his wife, Jeane Weed, and their two sons, Paul and Paul Jr. Austin is buried in LaGrange, Georgia; his wife’s funeral was held at the Georgia State Museum in Atlanta on November 14, 2013. The Austin family is still active in philanthropic and business activities in Georgia and beyond.

Austin’s son, Paul Jr., is a well-known philanthropist in Atlanta and the founder of the Austin Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping young people achieve their dreams of becoming doctors or lawyers. He was also a member of the Harvard rowing team and competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Austin also served as an executive at Callaway Mills, where his father was an executive. He worked at the New York law firm of Larkin, Rathbone & Perry when he joined the legal department at Coca- Coke in 1949. He spent five months working at various positions in the plant and as a route salesman. In 1950 Austin was named assistant to the president of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation. In 1954 Austin moved to Johannesburg, South Africa to oversee Coke’s operations in Africa. In 1958 Austin returned to Georgia and was named executive vice president of Coke’s Export Corporation, then president in 1959. In May 1962 Austin was elected president of Coca-cola, succeeding Lee Talley. He became chief executive officer in 1966 and chairman in 1970.