Scott Thomas
Director of Program Commercialization
Coca-Cola
Kennesaw, GA USA
“You’ve got to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationScott Thomas
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
I always knew I wanted to go to an HBCU—I attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and earned my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
After graduating, I got a job as a software engineer at Dell.
After working for several years, I wanted to transition more into the business world, so I decided to go to the University of Michigan to earn my MBA in marketing and corporate strategy.
My education in marketing and corporate strategy set me up nicely for a position in brand management with Procter & Gamble.
After Procter & Gamble, I moved on to The Clorox Company, where I focused on new product innovation.
I was rotated to the automotive brands to do brand management for Armor All and STP—these brands had sports relationships, so that’s how I was able to tap into the intersection of business and sports.
I eventually got the opportunity to join The Coca-Cola Company as a senior marketing manager for commercialization and innovation.
I’ve been with Coca-Cola for over nine years now and currently work as a director of program commercialization.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Graduate
Marketing and Corporate Strategy
University of Michigan
Marketing and Corporate Strategy
University of Michigan
Career
Director of Program Commercialization
I lead commercial strategy for our sports, summer, and holiday initiatives.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Sports
Working with Others
Day to Day
No two days are the same. On any given day, I could be having a high-level conversation with executives to flesh out our planning for the upcoming year. I could be helping my team navigate forecasts for the amount of labels we'll need to produce for a specific promo. I may be helping influence brand strategy for a new innovation or helping to create a sales story. I could also be digging deep into the financials as we submit proposals to our franchisees and bottling partners.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Really think about your strengths, skills, and interests. Play to your strengths and try and up-skill in areas that need improvement. I also think it's important to take risks early on in your journey. It's much easier to take career risks early on and build a strong foundation while you don't have much else to worry about in your life.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"HBCUs aren't the best choice. Why would you go to an HBCU? You're smart enough to go anywhere."
