WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Beverage Association (ABA) today announced the election of Matthew Dent, president and chief operating officer of Buffalo Rock Company, as chair of its Board of Directors.  Mr. Dent, who previously served as Vice Chair, succeeds Kirk Tyler, chair and chief executive officer of Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company.  The Board also elected Derek Hopkins, president, cold beverages for Keurig Dr Pepper, as Vice Chair.

“I am thrilled to work alongside our Board to build on our industry’s commitments, putting forth innovative solutions that support our customers, consumers and communities,” said Matthew Dent, chair, ABA Board of Directors and president and chief operating officer of Buffalo Rock Company.  

“The ABA has a long history of uniting our industry to create solution-oriented policies and programs,” said Derek Hopkins, vice chair, ABA Board of Directors and president, cold beverages for Keurig Dr Pepper. “I’m honored to join the Board in a leadership position, and I’m committed to advancing the important work of this association.” 

“It is my honor to welcome our new Chair, Vice Chair and those elected to serve an additional term,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association.  “We look forward to Matthew’s leadership and the insights he brings as a longstanding member of the ABA Board, where he has been integral to helping advance industry policies, programs and initiatives that build upon our better way solutions.  As the Vice Chair and Chair of the Finance Committee, Derek will bring his valuable expertise to help guide our industry.  We also thank Kirk for his leadership and commitment as Board Chair where he helped usher our groundbreaking Every Bottle Back initiative, celebrate our industry’s centennial and worked closely with the ABA team to ensure that America’s beverage companies could continue providing communities with essential goods during the pandemic.”

Those elected to serve for an additional term are: Paul Finney, president and chief executive officer, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC; Jeffrey “Jeff” Honickman, chief executive officer, Pepsi-Cola & National Brand Beverages, Ltd.; Derek Lewis, south division president, PepsiCo Beverages North America; Claude B. Nielsen, chairman of the board, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc; Troy D. Taylor, chairman and chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC; and, Zoran Vučinić, chief operating officer, US Bottler Delivered Brands, The Coca-Cola Company. 

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 29 elected members on ABA’s Board. 

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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.