The mid-afternoon spring humidity already has dampened the sandy blond hair on Darian Chustz’s brow as he walks through the newly built Coca-Coca Bottling United plant in north Baton Rouge.
He appears relaxed now, as he usually does, leaning back in his chair, with soft light from the floor-to-ceiling windows highlighting the rosy glow of his cheeks. Not too far away at any time, an ice-cold Coca-Cola Classic sits in the short, retro glass bottle.
He could easily be the top executive at any major company with a command that is both easy and definitive. But there’s no question about it. Chustz doesn’t want to be anywhere else. He’s a Coca-Cola man.
To hear his history with the company is like reading a novel of the determined young man, destined to be great not by fate but by hard work and persistence. Chustz’s father worked for the company until he passed away during his son’s teenage years.
“I started as a sales trainee in 1989,” he says, leaning forward. From there, he worked numerous positions with the company, managing small numbers of employees, gaining more responsibility and eventually holding the positions of vice president of sales and division manager before accepting his current role as president of the Gulf Coast Region.
But while Chustz says, “I miss the interaction with clients and customers, working with them to mutually grow our businesses,” he always knew he was capable of doing his current job. It was just something that made sense to him, he says, something he knew he could do if learned enough from the people around him.
One person he has looked to for guidance is Gary Sligar, who retired as president before handing the reins to Chustz. “I do still remember the first time I met Darian,” Sligar says. “We were at a restaurant in Livonia, where Darian’s from, with my wife and our friends. This young man walked up and introduced himself to me, full of confidence. He said, ‘Mr. Sligar, I am one of your employees.’”
So, Sligar explains, he noticed Chustz early on.
Part of what helped Chustz advance quickly was that he always did his best to learn from those around him. “He always did well, but he wasn’t happy when he wasn’t managing people.”
Sligar says Chustz always stuck out from the crowd. “He had such a tremendous amount of presence and self-confidence. He just needed seasoning.”
It was through the mentoring relationship with Sligar that Chustz learned management and consensus building needed for his current role. “Gary coached me on my mistakes,” he says.
When asked to describe himself and his success, Chustz defaults to talking about what he learned from Sligar—reluctant to be even remotely boastful or claim any of the credit.
It’s a common theme that plays out in almost any discussion begun with a Coke employee. They credit little, if any, of their success to their own abilities, preferring to talk about the collective will and capability. It’s a philosophy that is literally expressed in the “Coca-Cola Way.” It’s a mantra for business, client interaction, work and success in general.
Chustz is eager to discuss it, leaning across the table with a business card-sized foldout. “It was written by the employees, which is why we all believe in it,” he says. “We’re not just a company, we’re a family, and that’s why we all live and breathe this. It’s about pride and trust and leaning on each other as if we are family.
“Everyone who works here loves their job. That’s why they show up each day with a smile on their face. They couldn’t if they didn’t want to do it because they have to get here at 5 a.m. And it’s hard work if you’re making a route. It can be monotonous, but they don’t complain.”
Melanie Clark, the vice president of marketing for Baton Rouge Coca-Cola, laughs in agreement when asked about Chustz’s nature to deflect praise for his successes. “He’s very what you see is what you get,” she says. “He has so much respect for the work that people do, and a lot of that comes from working in all parts of the company. It gives him tremendous perspective. I learn from him every day how to be a better manager.”
“It’s part of why people buy into the company,” says John Noland, the chairman emeritus of All Star Automotive Group and a board member for Coca-Coca Bottling United. “That’s why the tenure of our employees averages around 30 years.” Noland says Chustz “is who he is,” and there’s nothing forced about him.
Chustz’s empathetic nature and concern for the greater good, Noland says, also is what makes Chustz naturally inclined to participate in philanthropy and community service. He is a board member for numerous organizations, including the Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Louisiana, Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Junior Achievement.
“I want to be involved,” Chustz says. “I believe in personal responsibility as a corporate citizen. We at Coca-Cola have a duty and responsibility to serve the community.”
Clark reiterates that belief. “It’s a part of the Coca-Cola Way to participate in the community,” she says. “And it is effective because it was a business and service philosophy with our employees before it was ever articulated formally.”
Those close to Chustz actually place more focus on his community service than on his actual work. Gary Young, a friend through LSU football and an avid golf buddy, says Chustz’s civic pride stands out the most.
“Our community is lucky to have someone like Darian,” he says. “He is first and foremost a family man, and he expresses a lot of that as a leader.”
Perhaps it’s his family that makes Chustz the man he has become. He has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 13 years, and they have three children—two sons and a daughter.
“My family is my top priority,” he says. “My favorite time of the year is when we get to take our beach trips. Just three to five days a year, nothing else matters.”
Sligar says Chustz is totally devoted to his family in an obvious way. “It’s very difficult to balance your life when you’re in that position,” he says. “I know I wish that I’d spent more time with my family when I was at the company. I know I tell him that you’ve got to make it a point to not work too much, even though his job is an extraordinary responsibility.”
One of the most extraordinary things about Chustz is how everyone seems to perceive him in the same way—caring, hard working, determined, supportive and kind. “You can see that passion in him at work,” Clark says.
All the Coke employees see it, she says, when he walks through the bottling plant, exuding passion for his job, his employees and the community. He is a Coca-Cola man through and through.
“I’ve never had a Pepsi my entire life,” Chustz laughs as he picks up the half-empty bottle of Coca-Cola Classic and takes a sip. “When I go to tailgates, the first thing I do is check the cooler to see what they have, to make sure they have Coca-Cola products.
“You live and breathe it because the loyalty of this company sticks with you. It’s why the guys are out there bearing the heat and the weight of delivering Coca-Cola all over Baton Rouge.”
It’s not about the product, it’s about the people, he says with a sparkle in his eye. “It’s magical.”
Young Businessperson of the Year: Darian Chustz
Position: President, Gulf Coast Region, Coca-Cola Bottling United
?Age: 40
?Accomplishments: Began his career with Baton Rouge Coca-Cola in 1989 as a sales trainee. Was promoted to vice president of sales and division manager in 2000 and to president of the Gulf Coast Region of Coca-Coca Bottling United in 2006. Is a member of the Coca-Cola Commercial Leadership Committee and Dr. Pepper National Executive Steering Committee and a board member with the Louisiana Soft Drink Association. Currently serves on numerous civic and nonprofit boards, including Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Our Lady of the Lake Foundation and Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Louisiana.
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