The Coca-Cola Co. is searching for a new top lawyer for the first time in nearly a decade as the beverage giant's general counsel prepares for retirement early next year.  

Bernhard Goepelt, 57, began his career at Coca-Cola in 1992, when he was hired as legal counsel for the company's German division. He went on to serve in-house leadership roles for the firm's business groups throughout the world before being named GC, chief legal counsel and senior vice president. 

As he climbed the corporate ladder, Goepelt was sent to work in Thailand, Vienna, Tokyo and Hong Kong before he arrived at the company's Atlanta headquarters in 2010 as an associate general counsel. 

He stepped up to take over the legal department in 2011, when his predecessor, Geoffrey Kelly, retired after a 42-year career. Then-CEO Muhtar Kent said at the time that Goepelt had a "comprehensive knowledge of our system, strong global legal expertise, and a passion for developing a legacy of talent for the future."

Goepelt, whose successor has yet to be named, is retiring to focus on "family obligations in his native Germany," where he will remain with Coca-Cola through February, according to an announcement Monday. He was not available for an interview.

As Coca-Cola's top lawyer, Goepelt pushed to increase diversity within his legal department and its hiring of outside firms. 

While speaking at a diversity event in 2016, he said the company's spending on outside minority and women-owned firms had increased from 2% in 2007 to 10% in 2014. He also announced that the company's legal department had gone from being 39% women and 23% otherwise diverse in 2005 to 49% and 32%, respectively.

Goepelt said at the time that his goal was to develop a diversity program at Coca-Cola that "is all about a truly global perspective where diversity is not only about form but is fully about substance."

"In order to get to this point, we need to embrace the value of a diverse culture to the ongoing development of our profession," he said in a follow-up interview. "This can lead us to take meaningful steps to promote diversity at all levels of our professional and educational touch points—from law school to internships to the professional practices at in-house departments and their law-firm partners to professional organizations around the world."

Also retiring next year is Coca-Cola chief growth officer Francisco Crespo, who was named to the newly created role in May 2017.

Coca-Cola chairman and CEO James Quincey said in a prepared statement that Crespo has accomplished his mission of helping the company develop a growth strategy "that has become thoroughly embedded in our operations and our culture."

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