Coca-Cola To End DEI, Once Called ‘At The Heart Of Our Values’

Coca-Cola, which has promoted its long-standing commitment to DEI (even back to the 1930s), now plans to end its DEI programs.

Simply put: The company qualifies as a government contractor because it sells its products to military bases and other federal facilities. But a recent executive order prohibits the federal government from awarding contracts to companies that maintain DEI programs involving “illegal discrimination or preferences.” As a result, Coca-Cola is “preparing to comply” according to Bloomberg.

Here’s what you need to know about the state of Coca-Cola’s DEI policy.

What Changed?

Coca-Cola’s Compliance with the Executive Order

As a government contractor, Coca-Cola is subject to federal contracting regulations.

A January 2025 executive order now prohibits government contractors from implementing DEI hiring preferences or workforce diversity quotas.

Although Coca-Cola has not publicly confirmed changes to its hiring policies, the company “will adhere to the administration’s directive, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly” according to Bloomberg.

An upcoming SEC filing will reflect the changes.

Coca-Cola’s Public DEI Goals

Despite this recent news, Coca-Cola’s DEI web page is still active.

Here are a few notable statements listed on the page:

• “Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our values and our growth strategy and play an important part in our company’s success.”
• “It is our aspiration by 2030 to have women hold 50% of senior leadership roles at the company and in the U.S. to have race and ethnicity representation reflect national census data at all levels.​”

We will see if the company will remove its DEI page altogether or adjust its programs and language to be in compliance.

Coca-Cola’s CFO Addresses DEI Future

During a recent investor call, Coca-Cola’s CFO John Murphy said the company is “focused on having the best talent around the world,” but also that “of course, [we will] follow any change in regulations at the national level.”

Access the best DEI benchmarking data

Coca-Cola is #95 on the Fortune 100. At the time of writing this article, it is one of 31 companies on the list that is publicly shrinking/reducing its commitment to DEI.

See an in-depth analysis of every Fortune 100 DEI policy in our premium report.