James Dinkins
Bloomin' BrandsAbout James L. Dinkins
James L. Dinkins is an independent director of Bloomin’ Brands (appointed in 2025) and serves on the Audit Committee. He is the Chief Executive Officer of The Honey Baked Ham Company (since 2021), previously held senior leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company (including Group President, Coca-Cola North America), and brings deep finance, accounting/audit, consumer/retail, and international expertise. He holds an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and a BBA from the University of Georgia; age 62. He has been designated by the Board as an “audit committee financial expert” and is independent under NASDAQ rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Honey Baked Ham Company, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | 2021–present | Led financial strategy and operational growth; consumer/retail leadership |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Group President, Coca-Cola North America; SVP, TCCC | 2018–2020 | Executive leadership of large-scale operations; finance, marketing, development |
| The Coca-Cola Company | President, Minute Maid Business Unit | May–Dec 2017 | Oversaw strategy, marketing and development |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Chief Retail Sales Officer, U.S. Operations | 2014–2017 | Directed retail sales execution and market strategy |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Senior roles: SVP National Sales; President Global Customer; VP Marketing/Operations; GD Sports Marketing | 2002–2014 | Business development, accounting/auditing exposure; market-facing leadership |
| Coca-Cola USA | Account mgmt., marketing, bottler franchise leadership | 1988–1999 | Bottler governance, distribution and franchise leadership |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Beverage Corporation | Director | 2020–present | Public company board service; committee roles not disclosed in BLMN proxy |
| Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. | Director | 2020–2023 | International beverage operations governance |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Audit chaired by Julie Kunkel; Audit held eight meetings in FY2024 .
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Dinkins is independent; also independent for audit committee membership under NASDAQ standards .
- Audit financial expert: Board determined Dinkins (and Jackson, Kunkel) are audit committee financial experts per Item 407 of Regulation S‑K .
- Board activity/attendance context: Board held nine meetings in FY2024; each incumbent director met at least 75% attendance; all then-serving directors attended the 2024 annual meeting (Dinkins joined in 2025; attendance figures are for FY2024 incumbents) .
- Governance practices: Independent Chairman (R. Michael Mohan); regular executive sessions; annual Board/committee self-assessments .
Fixed Compensation
Director compensation structure (as amended April 22, 2024; effective for fiscal 2024):
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $95,000 | Standard cash retainer |
| Audit Committee chair | $30,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Audit Committee member (non-chair) | $15,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Compensation Committee chair | $30,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Compensation Committee member (non-chair) | $12,500 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance chair | $30,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance member (non-chair) | $10,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Operating Committee chair | $30,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Operating Committee member (non-chair) | $10,000 | Additional annual cash retainer |
| Non-executive Chairman premium | $85,000 | Additional annual cash |
| Annual RSU grant (non-employee directors) | $155,000 fair value | Vests at next annual meeting; non-executive Chair: $240,000 |
Notes: If elected outside the annual meeting, initial RSUs are prorated to next annual meeting . FW Cook serves as independent compensation consultant; the plan was increased to maintain competitiveness vs. peer group .
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive time-vested RSUs; no director PSUs or option grants are disclosed for non-employee directors, and payouts are not tied to performance metrics for directors (RSUs vest in full at the next annual meeting) .
- Broader plan controls anchored in the 2025 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan: no option/SAR repricing or cash buyouts without stockholder approval; minimum one-year vesting (limited exceptions); clawback policy; and a hard cap for non-employee directors of $500,000 combining cash fees and grant-date equity value per fiscal year (excluding the non-executive chair) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public boards: Monster Beverage (since 2020); Coca-Cola FEMSA (2020–2023) .
- Potential interlocks: Monster/Coca-Cola ecosystem exposure could intersect with restaurant beverage supply chains; however, Bloomin’ Brands discloses no related party transactions requiring reporting beyond a Brazil JV matter unrelated to Dinkins .
- Starboard activism context: Operating Committee formed in 2024 under Starboard agreement; Dinkins is not part of Operating Committee; provides backdrop for Board reform emphasis .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance/Accounting/Audit: Deep finance, accounting, and auditing experience from Coca-Cola leadership; Audit Committee financial expert designation .
- Consumer/Retail: 30+ years in consumer product and retail companies; growth and market expansion credentials .
- International: Board and business unit leadership with global operations (Coca-Cola FEMSA; Coca-Cola North America) .
- Executive leadership: CEO experience (Honey Baked Ham); multiple market-facing leadership roles .
- Education: MBA (Emory Goizueta); BBA (UGA Terry) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (as of Feb 12, 2025) | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| James L. Dinkins | — | * | Footnote indicates 3,410 unvested RSUs not vesting within 60 days are excluded from beneficial ownership; thus no currently vested shares within 60 days |
- Stock ownership guidelines: Directors must hold five times the annual cash retainer; requirement must be met by the fifth anniversary of appointment. Company states non-employee directors have met or are on track to meet requirements by deadlines .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director and audit committee financial expert; assignment to Audit aligns with his finance/accounting background; Board governance features include independent chair, clawback policy, minimum vesting standards, and prohibition on repricing—supportive of investor-aligned oversight .
- Alignment: Director equity is in RSUs that vest at the next annual meeting, providing near-term alignment; ownership guidelines (5x retainer) enforce “skin in the game” over time; Dinkins has unvested RSUs and a five-year window to reach guideline compliance .
- Attendance/engagement context: Board and committees were active in FY2024; Audit met eight times; incumbents met attendance thresholds and annual meeting participation—framework supports accountability as Dinkins begins tenure .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related party transactions disclosed for Dinkins; external roles with Monster Beverage and prior Coca-Cola affiliations present theoretical supplier-network proximity, but no transactions requiring disclosure were reported .
- Shareholder sentiment backdrop: Say-on-pay support of 97.4% in 2024 suggests broader compensation/governance acceptance, indirectly supporting confidence in Board oversight processes .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, or option repricing for directors; beneficial ownership shows no vested holdings within 60 days (as of record date), which is typical for a newly appointed director and mitigated by RSU grants and ownership guideline timeline .