Aaliyah Shafiq Ely is currently VP, Sparkling Flavors Category for the North America Operating Unit at The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), where she is responsible for leading the category vision, strategy, innovation and creative for 11 brands across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.  Mrs. Ely’s 12-year tenure at TCCC includes brand management and stewardship of Sprite, Gold Peak and Coca-Cola, the world’s most recognizable beverage brand. 

Mrs. Ely graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in German Cultural Studies.  After graduation, Mrs. Ely returned to Atlanta where she started a private tutoring service focused on mathematics and German.  Remaining in Atlanta, Mrs. Ely worked in the energy industry at Southern Company.  She then pursued her MBA at Harvard Business School in Boston.  Upon graduation, Mrs. Ely moved to Minneapolis, where she worked at General Mills as a marketer on brands, such as Cheerios, Pillsbury and Yoplait. 

Mrs. Ely is a native of Atlanta, and she currently resides in Brookhaven, Georgia with her husband.  Her hobbies include reading historical fiction, watching movies, traveling and cheering on the Atlanta Falcons.  She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Junior League of Atlanta, the High Museum of Art, The Gathering Spot, Harvard Club of Georgia and Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  Mrs. Ely also serves as a director on the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame board and the Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta board.