Tierra Nueva Fine Cocoa, LLC, a Miami-based coffee technology and manufacturing company, announces David Burke as its new CEO. Burke has been a leader in the food and beverage industry for more than 30 years, with successes at Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Primo Water, and most recently as the executive vice president of Birmingham, Ala.-based Red Diamond Coffee & Tea.
Burke led a comprehensive turnaround at Red Diamond Coffee & Tea. He also helped accelerate startup Primo Water through a significant IPO as its president and COO, and served as the functioning head of marketing, consumer insights, North American sales and customer capability for The Pepsi Bottling Group. Earlier in his career, Burke held responsibilities in various leadership positions inside Coca-Cola’s operations, sales and general management divisions, including at both Coca-Cola USA and its North American bottling system.
He received an honors bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina. He is also a board member and past president of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s North Carolina chapter.
“As we chart our course toward Tierra Nueva’s global leadership in the coffee revolution, we believe David Burke is the right man at the helm,” said Christopher Ramonetti, managing partner and CEO of Tampa, Fla.-based ProspEquity Partners (PEP), an emerging private equity firm which has purchased a majority stake in Tierra Nueva. “His capabilities, experience, connections and relationships in the food and beverage industries are of significant value in our strategic planning, while the management acumen and competitive prowess he applies to all his business initiatives ensure we will meet all objectives in an accelerated fashion.”
“I welcome the challenges and opportunities I have identified in the near and long-terms for Tierra Nueva, and look forward to executing on our strategic plan,” Burke said. “Tierra Nueva’s evolutionary coffee processes and new product categories will capture the attention of the global coffee industry as we become the recognized leader in breakthrough coffee technologies and brand new product categories.”
