{Athens, 26 March 2001 09.00}: Coca?Cola HBC S.A. announces that Mr. E. Neville Isdell (58) will step down as Chief Executive Officer with effect from May 2001. Mr. Isdell will take up the role of Vice Chairman on the board of directors until the end of the year.Succeeding him will be Mr. Irial Finan (43) who is currently one of three Region Directors at the company. Mr. Finan has responsibility for 16 of the company's 23 country business units including Greece, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia and Nigeria.Commenting on Mr. Isdell's decision to step down, the company's chairman, Mr. George David said, ?Coca-Cola HBC is now on course towards achieving operational excellence and sustainable profitable growth. Neville has successfully fulfilled the task he set himself within the timeframe he allocated. He has brought together Hellenic Bottling Company, and Coca?Cola Beverages to create Coca?Cola HBC S.A. The merger is now complete, and given the consistent and increasingly positive results of the past year, we believe that the integrated business is now on course for a successful future.?With a career spanning almost 35 years in the Coca?Cola system, Mr. Isdell will continue to be closely associated with the future of Coca?Cola HBC by taking up the role of Vice Chairman. ?I look forward to working closely with the chairman and other members of the board in a more strategic and advisory role. The merged business is now established and the time is right to relinquish day to day operational tasks to a strong hands-on executive, who can focus on driving profitable volume growth to realise the tremendous potential of the alcohol-free beverage industry.?Mr. Isdell, became chairman of Coca?Cola Beverages plc in 1998, and was given the challenge of establishing the company, listing it on the London Stock Exchange, and turning around a business which was in considerable difficulty. The merger of Coca?Cola Beverages, and Hellenic Bottling Company to create Coca?Cola HBC S.A. was completed in 2000.Mr. Finan began his career in the Coca?Cola system at Coca?Cola Bottlers in Dublin in 1981. He has held a number of senior positions, notably as Managing Director of Molino Beverages comprising six countries which are now part of Coca?Cola HBC. Immediately prior to the merger Mr. Finan was Joint Managing Director of the Hellenic Bottling Company responsible for operations in 11 countries.