Honorary Degree Remarks

Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company
University of Hull
United Kingdom
July 14, 2009

As prepared for delivery

Honorable Chancellor... civic dignitaries... esteemed faculty and benefactors... proud graduates... and equally proud friends and families -- thank you so much for this wonderful honor. I am privileged -- and humbled -- to be back on the grounds of my beloved alma mater to receive this great honor.

This is extra special for me, because I know there were more than a few times back in the early '70s when my family was wondering if I would get out of here with one degree -- let alone two!

But enough about me.

Class of 2009, this is your day. Celebrate it! Relish it! And never forget it!

But not before thanking your parents, guardians and other family members. Your success is indeed a result of their great success in raising such outstanding young men and women.

If I could ask our parents and guardians to rise for just a moment -- we owe you a big salute. Graduates, please join me in congratulating your families!

Parents and families -- I can relate to all the thoughts swirling through your heads today. Just two years ago, I was sitting proud in a setting very much like this one, watching my daughter receive her bachelor's degree diploma from Tufts University. Three years from now... knock on wood... I'll be doing the same for my son who is studying at Columbia University.

Today, your loved ones have accomplished something that is rare and honorable indeed -- a degree from this great university.

Graduates... the world you are now entering is radically different than the one I stepped into all those years ago. Back when I came to Hull, The Beatles had not yet broken up... Bono was an American pop singer married to a lady named Cher... the guys who started Dell and eBay were just getting out of diapers... and  the founders of Google and MySpace had not yet been born. 

Okay, I'm dating myself, but hopefully you get the point. You are entering a world that is paradoxical in nature.  Enormous challenges on one hand... and even more breathtaking opportunities on the other hand.

In the next few years to come, your generation will lead a billion new people around the world into the middle class.  Despite the economic woes of the day -- and believe me they will pass and probably sooner than most expect -- despite all this, the world is going to grow $20 trillion dollars richer by the year 2020.

The world will also become more urban as people flock to cities in record numbers for jobs and a better way of life. In fact, between now and 2020, the world will be adding a metro area the size of London every two months.

New lifestyle and demographic patterns will paint a portrait of a world that is more youthful... a world that is also living longer... that's more affluent... mobile... and activist in mindset than ever before. 

So, what does this mean for our Class of 2009?  Well, here's my single best grain of advice for building a picture of success in a world of transition. Hold close to the deep relationships you've established here at the University of Hull and let them serve as models for the way you engage with all the new people and experiences that will enter your life in the years ahead.

Relationships will be at the heart of your future success. They will help you move with ease through different cultures and adapt to change.  Trust me: Your ability to work across cultures... and geographic borders... and differing points of view... will be essential.

And finally, heed the words that your professors have been preaching since the day you arrived here, and give as much back to the world as you take.  Do all this and enjoy the journey, my friends!
 
Congratulations to each of you and thank you again for this incredible honor.