James Dinkins
Monster BeverageAbout James L. Dinkins
Independent director of Monster Beverage Corporation since November 2020; age 62 as of the 2025 proxy. Career beverage executive, including President of Coca-Cola North America (2018–2020) and Senior Advisor to The Coca-Cola Company through February 2021; currently CEO of Honey Baked Ham Company (since May 2021) and director of Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (since Feb 2025). Trustee of The University of Georgia Foundation. Independence affirmed by the Board under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Coca-Cola Company | Joined 1988; various account management, marketing and bottler franchise leadership roles at Coca-Cola USA | 1988–1999 | Beverage industry leadership experience |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Rejoined; roles of increasing responsibility in Coca-Cola North America, incl. Chief Retail Sales Officer and President of Minute Maid | 2002–2017 | Commercial leadership |
| The Coca-Cola Company | President, Coca-Cola North America; Senior Vice President of TCCC | Jan 1, 2018–Aug 2020 | Led North America operations |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Senior Advisor to TCCC | Through Feb 2021 | Strategic advisory |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey Baked Ham Company, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | May 2021–present | Current operating role |
| Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. | Director | Feb 2025–present | Public company board |
| Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. | Director | 2020–2023 | Prior public company board |
| University of Georgia Foundation | Trustee | Not disclosed | Non-profit governance |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Dinkins is independent (Nasdaq/SEC) .
- Committee assignments (current/if re-elected): None listed for Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance . In 2023–2024, committees were comprised of other directors; Dinkins was not a member .
- Board meeting attendance: In 2023, Board held 4 meetings; each director attended ≥75% and all attended the annual meeting (June 22, 2023) . In 2024, Board held 6 meetings; each then-acting director except Mr. Hall attended ≥75%; all except Mr. Hall attended the annual meeting (June 13, 2024) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met in executive session 8 times in 2023 and 9 times in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer ($) | 85,000 | 85,000 |
| Committee member fees ($) | 0 (no committee service) | 0 (no committee service) |
| Lead Independent Director premium ($) | 0 | 0 |
| Director equity retainer – RSUs grant date fair value ($) | 175,011 | 175,002 |
| Total director compensation ($) | 260,011 | 260,002 |
| Non-employee director cash/equity framework | Cash $85k; Equity ~$175k RSUs; committee chair/member retainers per charter | Cash $85k; Equity ~$175k RSUs; committee chair/member retainers per charter |
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director compensation is not performance-based; equity is delivered as time-based RSUs that generally vest one day prior to the next annual meeting (or earlier upon death, disability, or Change-of-Control per plan terms) .
| RSU Grant Detail | 2023 Award | 2024 Award |
|---|---|---|
| Grant date | June 22, 2023 | June 13, 2024 |
| RSUs granted (#) | 2,932 | 3,592 |
| Grant date fair value ($) | ~175,011 | ~175,002 |
| Vest timing | Last business day prior to next annual meeting | Last business day prior to next annual meeting (June 12, 2025) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship to MNST | Dinkins’ role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Coca-Cola Company | 20.9% beneficial owner of MNST (as of Apr 11, 2025) | Former President, Senior Advisor (ended Feb 2021) | Historical ties to a significant shareholder; potential perception risk, mitigated by current independence and no committee roles |
| Coca-Cola FEMSA | No disclosed MNST transaction involving Dinkins | Director (2020–2023) | Prior affiliation with Coca-Cola system; monitor for any future related-party items |
| Bloomin’ Brands | Customer/partner not disclosed | Director (since Feb 2025) | No MNST-related transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive beverage industry leadership, including leading Coca-Cola North America operations and prior senior commercial roles .
- Current CEO experience (Honey Baked Ham) provides operating and retail insight .
- Prior public board service (Coca-Cola FEMSA) and current public board role (Bloomin’ Brands) strengthen governance experience .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned (#) | Percent of Class | RSUs Outstanding (#) | Deferred Stock Units Outstanding (#) | Options Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2024 | 7,554 | <1% | 2,932 (granted 6/22/2023) | 0 | None (non-employee directors) |
| Apr 11, 2025 | 10,486 | <1% | 3,592 (granted 6/13/2024) | 0 | None (non-employee directors) |
- Ownership guidelines: Non-employee directors must hold shares equal to 5× annual retainer within 5 years of appointment; all non-employee directors were in compliance during 2023–2024 .
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: Company prohibits hedging and pledging; as of Apr 11, 2025 only two employees (not Dinkins) had pledges covering ~0.3% of their beneficial holdings .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and attendance: Strong—independence affirmed; ≥75% attendance; present at annual meetings (2023 and 2024) .
- Committee engagement: None—limits potential conflicts tied to audit/compensation oversight, but also reduces direct influence on key governance levers .
- Pay structure and alignment: Simple, market-standard mix (cash retainer plus time-based RSUs ~ $175k), with no options and no director-specific performance metrics; complies with 5× retainer ownership guideline; no hedging/pledging by Dinkins .
- Conflicts/related-party transactions: No Dinkins-specific related-party transactions disclosed; company-level related-party purchases primarily involve entities affiliated with Messrs. Sacks and Schlosberg, not Dinkins .
- RED FLAGS: Historical executive ties to The Coca-Cola Company, a 20.9% owner of MNST, can be a perceived interlock risk; mitigants include current independence, no committee roles, and absence of disclosed related-party transactions for Dinkins .