WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Beverage Association (ABA) today announced the election of six members to its Board of Directors.

The members elected for a first term are: Paul Mulligan, co-founder & CEO, Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, LLC; Mark Schortman, president and CEO, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages; and John Torgerson, COO, Bernick’s Beverages & Vending. Those elected to serve for an additional term are: Rodger Collins, president, direct store delivery, Keurig Dr Pepper; Brad Goist, COO, Refresco; and J. Andrew Moore, co-president, Bigfoot Beverages.

“I want to welcome both our new Board members and those joining us for an additional term. Together, we will continue our important work of upholding consumer choice in communities across the nation and our commitment to initiatives that offer a better way,” said Jeff Honickman, chair of ABA’s Board of Directors and CEO of Pepsi-Cola & National Brand Beverages, Ltd.

Members of ABA’s Board of Directors serve a four-year term and participate in semi-annual meetings that help shape association programs, policies and initiatives. Officers are elected annually. There are 27 members on ABA’s Board. 

ELECTED BOARD MEMBER BIOS:

Paul Mulligan

Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages LLC

Mr. Mulligan is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, LLC. Liberty’s territories include New Jersey, metropolitan New York, Philadelphia, and parts of Connecticut and Delaware. Paul is a Coca-Cola veteran, most recently serving as president of Coca-Cola Refreshments in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, Paul was regional director with Bottling Investments Group responsible for franchise bottlers in Latin America (Brazil, Uruguay and Guatemala) and Japan. Mr. Mulligan started his Coke career with Coca-Cola Hellenic in Eastern Europe and ran the business in Switzerland before moving to the United States. He holds an economics degree from University College in Dublin, Ireland, and a master’s in accounting and finance from Dublin City University.

2018 BOD /ADD ONE

Mark Schortman

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages

Mr. Schortman is president and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  The company’s territory encompasses all of Texas and portions of New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma. In addition, Mr. Schortman serves as Chairman of the Board of Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services Company, LLC. For 13 years, he has been responsible for procurement of direct materials and indirect goods and services for all North American Bottlers and for Coca-Cola North America. Mr. Schortman has served as a member of the Global Customers and Revenue Growth Management Councils of The Coca-Cola Company. He returned from Europe in 2005 and was named chief customer officer for North America which included participating on the Coca-Cola Research Council for supermarkets and convenience retail outlets. His career has spanned several regional, country and corporate level positions including director of operational marketing for Coca-Cola Enterprises, director of sales development for The Coca-Cola Company in Canada, vice president of national sales for Coca-Cola Beverages, as well as other vice president and general manager roles in Ontario, Canada, the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. and Great Britain.

Prior to his 35 years with the Coca-Cola system, Mr. Schortman started his career as an account executive with McCann-Erickson Advertising Agency. He has held positions on the executive board of the Cox Business School at Southern Methodist University; the advisory board of the DFW Salvation Army; and the regional Board of Directors of the NFL Youth Education Town (NFL YET). In addition, he is a founding member of the Super Bowl XLV Legacy Program, and a key contributor to The George W. Bush Presidential Center Policy Institute’s O’Neil Center for Global Markets & Freedom in Dallas, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in agriculture and business management from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, and a master’s in business administration from Saint Mary’s College of California.

John Torgerson

Bernick’s Beverages & Vending

Mr. Torgerson graduated from St. Cloud State University in 1987. Shortly thereafter, he joined Bernick Beverages & Vending where he currently serves as the chief operating officer. Mr. Torgerson is a member of the Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Association (PCBA), and is actively involved in the community, serving on the YMCA Board of Directors.

Rodger Collins

Keurig Dr Pepper

Mr. Collins serves as president, direct store delivery (DSD) for Keurig Dr Pepper, with responsibility for all company-owned DSD operations. Mr. Collins joined Dr Pepper Snapple Group in 2006 through its acquisition of Dr Pepper/Seven-Up Bottling Group, where he had been with the Bottling Group and its predecessor companies since 1978. Prior to his current role, he was most recently president of packaged beverages for Dr Pepper Snapple Group. He previously served as Midwest division president for the company, as well as holding regional vice president, division vice president and numerous sales and marketing management positions.

Mr. Collins currently serves on the Boards of Directors for both the American Beverage Association and Big Red, Inc.

2018 BOD /ADD TWO

Brad Goist

Refresco

Mr. Goist was appointed chief operations officer of Refresco North America in February of 2018.  Prior to that, Mr. Goist was president of Cott North America, Refresco’s predecessor company. He also held numerous positions with the Kellogg Company, including senior vice president and general manager of U.S. snacks and senior vice president of marketing and innovation for that division, as well as several positions with The Coca-Cola Company, including senior vice president and general manager of hydration and senior vice president of juices, teas and emerging brands.

J. Andrew (Andy) Moore

Bigfoot Beverages

Native Oregonian J. Andrew (Andy) Moore is co-president of Bigfoot Beverages and president of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Bend.  Mr. Moore is an active member of the beverage industry, where he serves on the boards of the Oregon Beverage Association, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Association and Pepsi Northwest Beverages. He also is active in his local community, including serving on the Boards of Summit Bank and Cascade Health Solutions. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Mr. Moore also worked on the legislative staff of Congressman Bob Smith, R-Ore., in Washington, D.C., before returning to Oregon.

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The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.  For more information on ABA, please visit the association’s website at www.ameribev.org or call the ABA communications team at (202) 463-6770.

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