when Coke CEO d unexpectedly in 1997, the company that he had led was at its zenith. During Goizucta 's 16-year tenure, Coke' s share price rose by 3500%, and its brand was routinely deemed the most valuable in the world. Pepsi , meanwhile, lagged behind its rival in most key measures of its beverage operations, including market share and sales growth. By the middle of the following decade, however, Coke appeared to stumble from one embarrassment to another, While Pepsi was flying high.