It had been assumed that 51-year-old Steven Heyer, Coke's second most-important executive, would take over.

ECONOMIST: Coca-Cola has turned to its past to find a new boss

Heyer, who has asked NTM to identify new ways to lure guests to Starwood Hotels with the distribution of entertainment and technology.

FORBES: Magazine Article

That trio, it is said, has its eye on Steven Heyer, a recent recruit from AOL Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting division brought over to run joint ventures, as the next chief operating officer.

FORBES: Gone flat