It’s easy to draw a line from Bobcat alum Larry Mark’s bachelor’s degree in accounting to his recent role as a top finance executive for The Coca-Cola Company. Graduating with honors from Southwest Texas State, he passed his Certified Public Accountant exam shortly after graduation.

Those educational building blocks set the stage for Mark to make a name for himself as an expert in international accounting and business during his eight-year stint with Price Waterhouse, now PwC. That led to his recruitment by Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, where Mark recently served as global vice president - finance operations.

Mark’s 32-year career with the company included separate turns as chief financial officer for Europe and North America and as Corporate Controller overseeing Coca-Cola’s annual reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission and company shareholders. In his most recent role, he was responsible for providing business, financial, and analytical support for the beverage company’s senior leadership team.

“Throughout his journey, he has continuously helped us in achieving and exceeding our growth objectives,” said James Quincey, Coca-Cola’s chairman and CEO. “He is a true professional, great leader, works well with his peers, leads by example, and is a role model for others.”

Although he lives in Atlanta, Mark never loses sight of San Marcos. He’s an enthusiastic supporter of Bobcat students and faculty, volunteering his time to speak at the McCoy College of Business.

“He is particularly adept at coaching students interested in working for multinational corporations, management and leadership best practice, and the consumer goods industry,” said Melissa Linden, director of development at Texas State.

Mark’s active support of his alma mater also extends to providing financial support as a donor, contributing to the McCoy College of Business. He has attended alumni events and recently met with President Kelly Damphousse about how he can be optimally helpful to the university.

Mark is also active in his Atlanta community. He’s on the boards of the Woodruff Arts Center and the Center for Puppetry Arts and he also supports the work of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, which is dedicated to preventing and curing pediatric diseases.