Rapha Abreu — CEO
Rapha Abreu is a visionary design leader with over two decades of experience revolutionizing global brands. Currently serving as the Vice President of Global Design at The Coca-Cola Company, Rapha oversees the design expressions for some of the world's most iconic billion-dollar brands, including Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade, and Smartwater. He became the first Latino to hold this prestigious position, exemplifying his ability to break barriers while driving innovative design strategies. At Coca-Cola, Rapha leads a comprehensive global design strategy, focusing on brand identity, visual language, product design, interactive design, motion identity, and retail design. He is celebrated for his ability to blend creativity with strategic vision, flawless aesthetics with breakthrough functionality, creating distinctive and cohesive brand experiences that resonate worldwide. His leadership has also been instrumental in integrating sustainability into design processes, emphasizing the use of improved materials and technologies. Before his current role, Rapha was the Vice President and Global Head of Design at Restaurant Brands International, where he spearheaded the widely celebrated rebranding of Burger King, as well as transformative design projects for Popeyes and Tim Hortons. His visionary work at RBI set new benchmarks in the quick-service restaurant industry, particularly with innovative retail concepts like the flagship Popeyes store in Shanghai and touchless design standards for Burger King. Rapha's work has garnered multiple prestigious awards, including multiple Gold Cannes Lions, D&AD Wood and Graphite Pencils, and Dieline Awards. His Burger King rebrand alone earned him over 50 accolades such as Fast Company’s Rebrand of the Year and Gold awards from the Art Directors Club. In addition to his professional achievements, Rapha has served as a jury president for The One Show and Brazil Design Awards, and a judge for prominent awards like D&AD, Effie, Dieline and El Dorado. His thought leadership extends to conference presentations at renowned events such as D&AD Festival, How Design Live, and Adobe Max. His expertise has also been featured in numerous publications, including Fast Company, Creative Review, and Forbes.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a leader in brand design and strategy within the food and beverage industry.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Experience: 24 yrs 8 mos
Skills
- Design Strategy
- Brand Identity
- Rebranding
- Design Management
- Visual Identity
Career Highlights
- First Latino VP of Global Design at Coca-Cola
- Spearheaded Burger King's award-winning rebranding
- Integrated sustainability into global design strategies
Work Experience
The Coca-Cola Company
Global Vice President, Design (4 yrs 11 mos)
Restaurant Brands International
VP, Global Head of Design - Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons (1 yr 9 mos)
The Coca-Cola Company
Global Head of Visual Identity, Senior Global Design Director (1 yr 11 mos)
Global Design Director (3 yrs)
Senior Design Manager, Latin Center Business Unit (3 yrs 5 mos)
Tatil Design
Design Director (4 yrs 10 mos)
Ana Couto Branding
Design Manager (4 yrs 9 mos)
Education
Specialized Studies at Pratt Institute
Contour Leadership Experience at Harvard Business School Executive Education
Bachelor at ESDI - Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial