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Coca-Cola North America President Retiring, Successor Named

Sandy Douglas
Sandy Douglas

Last updated on December 8th, 2017 at 10:51 am

Alexander “Sandy” Douglas Jr. will retire as president of Coca-Cola North America (CCNA). He will be succeeded by James L. “Jim” Dinkins, who currently serves as president of the Minute Maid business unit and chief retail sales officer for CCNA.

Douglas, who joined Coca-Cola in 1988, has been a driving force in transforming CCNA for long-term, sustainable success, says The Coca-Cola Co, adding that under Douglas’ leadership, CCNA has reinvigorated growth in core sparkling beverages while also expanding the group’s total beverage portfolio.

Like Douglas, Dinkins started his career with the company in 1988. Dinkins was promoted to his current position earlier this year. He will begin his new duties Jan. 1, 2018, reporting to Coca-Cola President and CEO James Quincey. Douglas will retire on March 1, 2018, to ensure a seamless transition, the company says.

“Our North American business has been thriving and is well positioned for continued success,” Quincey said. “Sandy Douglas has done a tremendous job of leading CCNA to a strong position. Jim Dinkins is a highly experienced, respected executive who will lead Coca-Cola North America as it continues to evolve and grow.”

Over the last decade, Douglas, who is also an EVP of The Coca-Cola Co., has worked with the Coca-Cola system to transform CCNA into a total beverage company, with a focus on growing value across an increasing variety of products and packages. Douglas and the company’s bottling partners have worked together to steward the largest bottler refranchising initiative in the Coca-Cola system’s history. He will retire from the company as the North American refranchising process nears completion, “putting North American bottling operations in the hands of a diverse set of highly capable owners who are best positioned to serve local customers and communities,” says Coca-Cola Co.

“I am incredibly grateful to James Quincey and everyone within our North American system for giving me the opportunity to lead our business through a period of phenomenal change,” Douglas said. “I feel incredibly positive about what lies ahead for our system because I have tremendous confidence in James, Jim Dinkins, our CCNA leadership team, our bottlers and our people throughout the United States and Canada.”

As Douglas moves forward after his Coca-Cola career, he is looking forward to spending time with his family as he and his wife, Jessica, create a family foundation focused on children in under-resourced communities. He also plans to continue to serve in various board-level commitments and other business activities, including as a director for Coca-Cola European Partners.

Jim Dinkins
Jim Dinkins

Dinkins has held a variety of leadership positions in his career.

“I am honored and humbled to lead CCNA during a time of great opportunity in our industry,” Dinkins said. “I am excited about James’ vision for the company, and I am thankful to Sandy for his leadership in building a strong foundation for Coca-Cola North America.”

As president of CCNA’s Minute Maid business unit, Dinkins leads a team that produces, sells, markets and distributes juices, natural health beverages, chilled tea and value-added dairy. He is also chief retail sales officer for CCNA, leading a team that manages strategic relationships with global and national customers across the grocery, mass, club, drug, value, convenience and e-commerce channels in the U.S.

Previously, Dinkins served in a variety of leadership roles with Coca-Cola, including SVP, sales in National Retail Sales for select grocery, club and convenience retail customers. He was also president of the 7-Eleven Global Customer Team.

Dinkins has spent a total of 26 years with The Coca-Cola Co., starting in 1988. From 1999 to 2002, he held executive roles with Service Resources Inc., and The Profit Recovery Group International Inc. Dinkins started his business career in 1984 with Procter & Gamble. He is a native of Atlanta. Dinkins graduated from the University of Georgia and earned an MBA from Emory University.

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