Strategic Procurement at Scale: Mehmet Erengul on Innovation, Sustainability and Future Ready Juice Sourcing
With one of the most geographically diverse portfolios in the business, the Juice category at The Coca Cola Company operates across a landscape shaped by agricultural risk, fluctuating markets, and shifting consumer expectations. Leading this complexity is Mehmet Erengul, Regional Juice Senior Procurement Director, whose remit spans Eurasia, the Middle East, India, Greater China, Japan, ASEAN and the South Pacific.
Built on a foundation of engineering, operational discipline and global supply insight, Mehmet’s career reflects a commitment to building resilient ecosystems rather than simply managing transactions. His leadership philosophy centres on value creation, supplier partnership, sustainability, and the use of technology to anticipate challenges rather than react to them.
In this interview, he shares how global procurement is evolving, the future of agricultural sourcing, and the capabilities procurement leaders must develop to navigate a world defined by risk, innovation, and constant change.
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Career Journey & Regional Leadership: Can you walk us through your career path and what led you to your current role as Regional Juice Senior Procurement Director at Coca-Cola, overseeing such a diverse and geographically complex region? What experiences have shaped your leadership in global procurement?
My career in procurement began with a strong foundation in engineering and supply chain, but what truly shaped my path was the gradual progression from operational roles into broader, strategic responsibilities. Joining Coca-Cola more than a decade ago was a defining moment. It opened the door to leading sourcing initiatives across multiple regions, industries, and cultures, each one adding a new layer of insight and capability.
Today, as Regional Juice Senior Procurement Director, I oversee one of the company’s most dynamic and challenging categories. Juice procurement demands agility and resilience, shaped by the volatility of agriculture, evolving consumer preferences, and the need to balance global strategies with diverse local realities.
What has influenced my leadership most is working with cross-functional teams and guiding them through transformation. I’ve had the privilege of championing sustainable sourcing, strengthening supplier ecosystems, and building teams that are proactive rather than reactive. Over time, I’ve learned that procurement leadership goes far beyond cost, it’s about creativity, collaboration, and delivering value that extends well beyond the organisation itself.
Sourcing Strategy Across Regions: Given your remit spans Eurasia, Middle East, India, Greater China, Japan, ASEAN, and the South Pacific, how do you tailor Juice sourcing strategies to account for varying regional supply risks, climate conditions, and market dynamics?
Sourcing juice across such a diverse footprint requires a strategy that is both globally aligned and locally intelligent. There is no single template that works everywhere. This is why I place enormous value on strong in-market teams, people who understand regional nuances better than anyone, from climate shifts and farming cycles to regulatory changes and consumer preferences.
Our sourcing model is built on adaptability. We continuously rebalance global and local sourcing depending on market needs, risk exposure, and supply availability. Strategic partnerships with both global and regional suppliers are a cornerstone of this approach. We work with partners who share a long-term mindset and a commitment to mutual growth.
Risk resilience is a major driver. We use multi-sourcing strategies across regions to avoid over-dependence on any one geography. At the same time, we lean into common platform juices to reduce complexity and increase interchangeability across SKUs. Standardised specifications and global packaging harmonisation further allow us to unlock efficiency and scale.
Ultimately, our approach goes beyond securing supply. It’s about building a flexible, risk-resilient network that delivers consistent value to all markets, no matter the conditions.
Agricultural Commodity Challenges: What are some of the most unique challenges you face in sourcing juice across such a diverse region, and how does Coca-Cola address them to ensure competitiveness and reliability?
Across many of our regions, fruit markets are heavily influenced by merchants who supply both domestic consumers and export channels. Traditionally, industries such as juice, jam, and canning have served as stabilisers, absorbing surplus fruit when crops are abundant. However, in emerging markets where agriculture is highly fragmented and dominated by small farms, processors often depend on traders and brokers to secure fruit.
This structure creates intense competition among processors, especially during short harvests or poor crop seasons, which puts upward pressure on prices and increases overall market volatility. Compounding this is a broader structural issue: urbanisation and labour migration continue to shrink the farming population, weakening long-term supply resilience across several key origins.
To address these realities, we focus on building strong, long-term partnerships with our suppliers. Through multi-year agreements and collaborative frameworks, we encourage them to invest in farming infrastructure and capability. We also support structured farming programs that incentivise growers, promote responsible agriculture, and help stabilise supply for both processors and farmers.
Our aim is clear: create a more predictable, competitive, and resilient sourcing ecosystem, one that benefits suppliers, growers, and ultimately the consumers we serve.
Quality & Traceability: What systems and supplier governance practices do you put in place, especially for Juice suppliers to ensure consistent quality and traceability?
Consistent quality and full traceability are absolute priorities in our juice sourcing strategy. We enforce a robust supplier governance framework that includes regular audits, comprehensive performance scorecards, and strict compliance checks covering quality, service, sustainability, and traceability standards. Every supplier is required to document raw material origins, processing methods, and maintain transparent, end-to-end traceability systems that meet our global requirements.
Quality assurance extends well beyond documentation. Before any shipment is released, we require product samples to be tested in our designated laboratories. This independent verification ensures alignment on specifications, validates product integrity, and provides an additional safeguard against any variation or oversight.
Ultimately, our approach is built on long-term partnerships with suppliers who view quality and transparency not merely as obligations, but as core shared values. This shared mindset is what protects consistency, builds trust, and secures mutual success across all markets we serve.
Digital & Data-Driven Procurement: How is technology, data analytics, digital traceability, or supplier performance dashboards, being used to improve visibility, decision-making, and responsiveness in global juice procurement?
Technology is playing a transformative role in how we manage global juice procurement. We’re leveraging digital platforms to increase transparency, enhance governance, and demonstrate the strategic value procurement brings to the business. With advanced contract management systems and sourcing analytics, we can track performance, value delivery, and compliance in real time, enabling faster, more informed decision-making.
Supplier performance dashboards have also become a powerful tool. By monitoring quality, service, sustainability, and compliance metrics, these dashboards create a shared view of performance and foster healthier, more transparent conversations with our partners. This data-driven clarity strengthens relationships and supports a culture of continuous improvement.
Looking ahead, we see significant potential in predictive technologies. Crop yield forecasting tools, for example, could revolutionise our ability to anticipate supply shifts and strengthen our sourcing strategies. While these technologies still need time to mature, particularly given the variability of global agricultural data, we are optimistic about their long-term value.
Ultimately, our goal is to evolve from reactive management to predictive, insight-driven sourcing. By embracing digital capability, we’re building a more agile, resilient, and future-ready procurement function.
Innovation in Juice & Ingredients Procurement: How is procurement helping Coca-Cola stay ahead by securing innovative ingredients or working with suppliers to support product development?
Innovation is essential in a fast-evolving beverage landscape, and procurement plays a central role in helping the business stay ahead. We work closely with R&D and our supplier network to spot emerging trends early and secure breakthrough ingredients that reflect changing consumer preferences across our diverse markets.
This goes far beyond traditional sourcing. We actively invest in supplier development programs that strengthen capabilities, encourage experimentation, and support new ingredient or processing innovations. These collaborative partnerships enable rapid testing, scaling, and adaptation, ensuring a seamless bridge between concept and commercialisation.
At its core, procurement becomes a co-creator in innovation. By combining market intelligence, strong supplier ecosystems, and close alignment with R&D, we help keep the portfolio fresh, competitive, and future-ready, no matter how quickly consumer expectations evolve.
Supplier Collaboration & Continuous Improvement: How do you build long-term supplier relationships built on continuous improvement, innovation, and shared sustainability objectives, especially in emerging markets where infrastructure and supplier maturity may vary?
Long-term supplier relationships are essential to building a resilient and sustainable procurement ecosystem. At Coca-Cola, we focus on partnerships rather than transactions, working collaboratively with suppliers to drive continuous improvement, innovation, and shared sustainability outcomes.
In emerging markets where capabilities or infrastructure may vary, we prioritise development. Through regular business reviews, structured feedback, and open communication, we maintain a proactive dialogue that helps us identify challenges early, address gaps, and strengthen performance. This approach supports not just short-term fixes, but long-term capability building across the value chain.
Sustainability is a core pillar of these relationships. Whether it involves reducing environmental impact, improving agricultural practices, or advancing ethical sourcing, we work closely with partners to design solutions that are practical, scalable, and future-fit. These initiatives create meaningful progress while aligning global expectations with local market realities.
Ultimately, our strategy balances Coca-Cola’s global standards with the unique needs of each region, helping to elevate supplier maturity, strengthen reliability, and unlock innovation in every market we serve.
Risk Management & Future Resilience: Considering geopolitical instability, crop variability, and inflationary pressures, how are you building resiliency into juice procurement through diversification, risk mapping, and alternative sourcing partnerships?
In a category as sensitive and climate-dependent as juice, resilience is not a supporting element, it is the core of our procurement strategy. The landscape is shaped by geopolitical shifts, crop volatility, and inflationary pressure, so our approach to risk management is both proactive and multi-layered.
We strengthen resilience by diversifying sourcing origins and technical specifications. Relying too heavily on one geography, one crop condition, or one specification exposes the business to unnecessary risk. By spreading our sourcing footprint and broadening specifications where feasible, we increase flexibility and maintain supply continuity during challenging seasons.
Robust risk mapping tools give us upstream and downstream visibility, allowing us to assess vulnerabilities from farm to production and logistics. Scenario planning is another key element—helping us anticipate the potential impacts of economic shifts, climatic events, or supply disruptions before they occur.
We are also expanding alternative sourcing options, including regional and local supply partners, to create more agility and reduce dependency on any single market. Alongside our strategic suppliers, we are investing in sustainable agricultural practices and long-term agreements that strengthen resilience for all parties involved.
Ultimately, our goal is to build a procurement model that is agile, transparent, and future-ready, one capable of navigating today’s uncertainties while preparing for the dynamic challenges of tomorrow’s global agricultural landscape.
Future of Procurement Role: How do you see the role of Procurement leaders evolving in shaping the future of sustainable and resilient supply chains, particularly in the Food and Beverages Industry?
I strongly believe the role of Procurement is evolving far beyond transactional buying, it’s becoming about shaping resilient ecosystems rather than simply managing efficient pipelines. In the Food and Beverages industry, where agricultural volatility, climate risks, and shifting consumer expectations converge, procurement leaders must think more broadly and act more proactively.
Procurement is no longer a back-office support function; it is emerging as a front-line driver of long-term value and positive impact. This means enabling local sourcing ecosystems, developing supplier capabilities, embedding sustainability into every decision, and fostering deep collaboration across the value chain.
Technology is accelerating this shift. AI-enabled forecasting, data-driven risk modelling, and end-to-end digital visibility are helping us become more predictive, agile, and transparent. These tools support better decisions and give us the foresight needed to navigate complexity.
Looking ahead, the real future of procurement lies in connecting global ambition with local action, creating supply systems that are cost-effective, sustainable, inclusive, and prepared for future disruptions. Procurement leaders have a unique opportunity, and responsibility, to help shape the future of the Food and Beverages industry in a way that benefits businesses, communities, and the planet.
Advice for Aspiring Procurement Leaders: What advice would you offer to procurement professionals aspiring to take on regional or global roles in strategic sourcing? What leadership qualities and capabilities do you consider essential?
For procurement professionals aiming to step into regional or global roles, my strongest advice is to cultivate a strategic mindset and expand your perspective beyond local priorities. At a global level, success is not only about cost, it’s about creating value, anticipating risk, driving innovation, and shaping a resilient ecosystem with your suppliers.
Cultural intelligence becomes crucial when operating across multiple regions. Each market has its own business rhythms, communication styles, and expectations, and the ability to adapt while building trust makes a significant difference. Strong, genuine relationships, built on respect and understanding, become one of your greatest assets.
Leadership in procurement today extends well beyond technical excellence. Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and the ability to inspire and guide cross-functional, multinational teams are essential capabilities. Equally important is the ability to influence, aligning stakeholders across geographies, functions, and priorities often becomes the real differentiator in global roles.
Finally, stay curious. Be proactive in learning about emerging technologies, new business models, and the macro trends reshaping global supply chains. The most impactful leaders are those who continue to evolve, challenge assumptions, and turn complexity into opportunity.
