Thomas N. Benford has been named as the new President and Chief Operating Officer Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (“Coke Florida”), one of the largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States.
Benford previously served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.
In his new role, Thomas will oversee end-to-end commercial operations, including planning, customer management, field sales, product supply, risk management, sustainability, and facilities management.
“Coke Florida will continue to build on its solid foundation, developing strong partnerships, and innovating the way we interact with our customers and consumers. We will also continue our commitment to being a strong contributor to the Florida economy and the communities where we operate,” Troy Taylor, Coke Florida’s Chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
“As an early member of the team, Thomas has played an instrumental role in the formation, growth, and expansion of Coke Florida. His leadership has been invaluable to the execution of our strategic vision over the years, helping to build what is now one of the fastest growing businesses in Florida. The changes we are now making to our organizational structure will allow us to better partner with our customers and serve our consumers.”
Benford holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and undergraduate degrees in Economics and Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University. Benford previously worked for Halliburton Company, where he served as Marketing and Development Manager of Baroid Fluid Services and Corporate Finance Manager.
“Coke Florida will continue to build on its solid foundation, developing strong partnerships, and innovating the way we interact with our customers and consumers. We will also continue our commitment to being a strong contributor to the Florida economy and the communities where we operate,” said Mr. Benford.
