When W. Thomas Haynes was reorganized out of his job as general counsel for The Coca-Cola Co. subsidiary Coca-Cola North America in 2001, the company gave its blessing for him to take a position as executive director of the Coke bottlers association.
Jeffrey T. Dunn, then chief executive of Coke’s North American and South American subsidiaries, gave Haynes written reassurances that the Coke bottlers position didn’t pose a conflict, with the exception of several specific legal matters in which Haynes agreed not to participate. Coke was so supportive of Haynes’ move that it issued a news release in which Dunn said he was “pleased” that Haynes would “continue his leadership in the Coca-Cola family.”
