Luca Santandrea has been named the general manager, Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026.

He will be joined by Oleg Mamaev as the frontline activation marketing director for Italy, Albania, Greece, Cyprus and Malta while Raluca Vlad will take the role of franchise operations director for Italy.

Santandrea's main objective is to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and lead the strategy and local execution of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.  

The Bocconi University graduate will also be responsible for achieving business objectives in Italy with a focus on sustainability.

"It's an exciting challenge that the company has set before me and I take it up with great pride and satisfaction," Santandrea said, as quoted by Italian news agency ANSA.

The soft drink company recently vowed to use re-usable glass bottles for its products at Paris 2024.

The Olympic marathon in the French capital will see re-usable cups used for refreshments, helping organisers reduce "carbon footprint of the Games by half".

At Coca-Cola since 2019, Mamaev's new role will involve creating a cooperation between the various countries.

With marketing experience from brands such as Gillette and Always, Mamaev is also tasked with creating a culture that inspires the training, growth and development of a strong team.

"I am happy to start this new adventure, a challenge that will allow me to connect with many different interlocutors and to work on creating innovation, in order to respond to the needs of different markets and local consumers," Mamaev told ANSA.

Vlad said he will work to "further strengthen our business and strategy to ensure continued solid growth".