The Coca-Cola Company has announced the election of Bela Bajaria, Netflix Inc.’s Chief Content Officer, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. With Bajaria’s addition, the Coca-Cola board now consists of 12 members.
In her role at Netflix, Bajaria oversees all global television and film content in various languages, managing an annual budget of approximately $17 billion. She reports directly to co-CEO Ted Sarandos and is a member of the company’s leadership team.
James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, praised Bajaria’s appointment, stating, “Bela brings a wealth of experience in global business, from building and leading teams to setting strategy. Her extensive background in media will provide valuable insights as Coca-Cola continues to evolve and enhance its marketing approach.”
Bajaria has played a key role in programming acclaimed films and series, and she has led Netflix’s expansion into live programming. Notable achievements include establishing a long-term partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment to make the flagship show “Raw” available to Netflix viewers worldwide, as well as securing the rights to stream NFL Christmas Day games on Netflix for the next three years.
Before becoming Chief Content Officer, Bajaria was the head of Global TV at Netflix, overseeing English and local-language scripted and unscripted series such as “Squid Game,” “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Bridgerton,” “La Casa de Papel,” and “Cobra Kai.” She joined the company in 2016.
Prior to Netflix, Bajaria held senior positions at CBS Entertainment and NBCUniversal. At CBS, she served as Senior Vice President and led the company’s cable studio, while at NBCUniversal, she was President of Universal Television, where she revitalized the studio after years of inactivity.
At 53, Bajaria has been recognized as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2022 and has appeared on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list for five consecutive years, among other accolades.
In addition, Coca-Cola declared a regular quarterly dividend of 48.5 cents per common share, payable on December 16 to shareholders of record as of November 29.
