Coca-Cola hires Rob Gehring from Monster Energy to run its North American operations

Rob Gehring, the head of Monster Energy's Americas business, will leave to run Coca-Cola's North America unit, the companies said Friday.

He will take over the position on Dec. 1.

The move comes as Coke tries to maintain growth while U.S. consumers cut back on spending in the face of higher gas and grocery prices. Despite those dynamics, the beverage giant posted net sales growth of 7% in the second quarter, as volume — a key measure of demand — rose 3% in North America.

Though Monster Beverage is considerably smaller than Coke, its sales have soared in part due to innovation in the energy drink space. The company reported net sales growth of 20% in its second quarter.

Coke is also investing in developing new beverages beyond its core soda offerings, including refreshers and dirty sodas.