The Coca-Cola Co.
Don Knauss was named president of Coca-Cola North America. He will oversee strategic direction of the unit’s operating performance and handle day-to-day operations of the beverage company’s oldest business segment.
“Don brings unmatched skills, leadership and relationships to the job, along with heartfelt belief in the culture we are instilling across our flagship operating unit,” says Steve Heyer, Coca Cola’s president and COO.
Knauss joined Coca-Cola in 1994 as senior vice president of marketing for The Minute Maid Co., and was named senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Division, in 1996. He served nearly two years as president of the Southern Africa Division, managing the company’s business in 10 countries of Southern Africa, before being named president and CEO of The Minute Maid Co. in 2000. Knauss was named president of the Retail Division of Coca-Cola North America in 2003.
Knauss served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and received a bachelor of arts degree in history from Indiana University. He serves on the board of trustees for the United States Marine Corps University Foundation and the board of trustees for Camp Coca-Cola.
World Airways
Randy Martinez was named chairman and CEO of World Airways Inc. and will succeed retiring Chairman and CEO Hollis Harris. Martinez, 48, became president and COO of World Airways in November 2003. He joined the airline in 1998 as director, crew resources, was appointed as the special assistant to the chairman in May 1999, and in August 1999 was named CIO. In 2002, he was promoted to executive vice president of marketing and administration.
Previously, he had a 21-year career with the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a colonel and command pilot. He holds a B.S. degree in organizational behavior from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.S. degree in operations management from the University of Arkansas and an M.S. degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University.
Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy LLP
Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy LLP elected James J. McAlpin Jr. to succeed Armin G. Brecher as firm chair. McAlpin has served in a number of leadership positions, most recently as chair of the Corporate and Technology Department and as a member of the executive committee. He joined the firm in 1985 and was the youngest member to be elected to the board of partners, the firm’s governing body, in 1997. He previously led the Business Transactions and Corporate Finance Practice and has chaired the Compensation Committee.
McAlpin, 45, is a double graduate from the University of Alabama, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1981 and his J.D. in 1984. He is involved in the Association for Corporate Growth (and is a past- president of the Atlanta Chapter), as well as the Atlanta Venture Forum, the Carter Center Board of Councilors and various banking associations.
Southern Company Services
Mark Crosswhite was named vice president and associate general counsel for Southern Co. Services. He also will serve as senior vice president and general counsel for Southern Co. Generation and Energy Marketing, a business unit of Southern Co. that works to manage and generate electricity for the company’s retail customers and markets energy in the competitive wholesale supply business. He will also serve as general counsel for Southern Power, the Southern Co. subsidiary that builds, owns and manages the company’s competitive generation assets.
Crosswhite will direct legal services and external affairs efforts for Southern Co. Generation and Energy Marketing and Southern Power. He will oversee regulatory, federal and state interactions, as well as internal and external communication. He will work closely with Southern Co.’s external affairs, governmental relations and corporate communication groups. He also will manage the company’s legal services group.
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics appointed Pat Nelms branch manager of the firm’s Atlanta offices. Nelms will focus on new business accounts, managing local operations and sales, identifying markets to be developed or maintained through appropriate business strategies, and ensuring Hellmann’s quality system is implemented and maintained in the branch.
Nelms has held a number of senior positions within the international transport arena, most recently as director of global sales, southeast region, for Geologistics, Atlanta. Prior to joining Geologistics, Nelms spent more than 20 years in the logistics industry serving in various sales positions, including general manager for Phoenix International in Los Angeles and development manager for Thyssen Haniel/ABX.
Worldspan
Michael Wood was appointed Worldspan CFO and senior vice president. Wood assumes responsibility for Worldspan’s worldwide financial operations, including accounting and financial reporting, investor relations, financial analysis, budgeting, taxes, treasury, purchasing and all Worldspan facilities.
Prior to joining Worldspan, Wood served as senior vice president and general manager-emerging technologies for ChoicePoint, the nation’s leading provider of identification and credential verification services. Wood commenced his tenure at ChoicePoint as senior vice president and CFO, responsible for finance, investor relations, human resources and administration.
Previously, he served in management roles, including as CFO at Lane Bryant, where his responsibilities included all areas of finance, distribution and information technology. In addition, he held corporate finance and auditing positions with Primerica Corporation and General Electric Co.
Wood received a MBA from Loyola College and a B.S. in accounting from Villanova University.
The Weather Channel
Debora Wilson was named president of the Weather Channel, replacing Bill Burke, who resigned in March. Wilson, 46, previously ran the Weather Channel’s interactive unit. She was promoted to COO in September 2003 and has worked at the Weather Channel since 1994. Previously, she spent 15 years with Bell Atlantic — now Verizon — and worked in operations and product management.
Orkin Inc.
Glen Rollins was named president and COO of Orkin Inc. Gary W. Rollins will become Orkin chairman. Glen Rollins, grandson of Rollins Inc. founder O. Wayne Rollins, began his career with Orkin in 1979 at the age of 14, assisting a termite technician during summers. Since joining the company full time in 1990, he has held positions as salesman, branch manager, region manager, division vice president, and most recently as executive vice president. PCT magazine, the pest control industry’s news leader, named Rollins to its distinguished “40 Under 40” list late last year.
Rollins is a founding member of the board of directors of the Professional Pest Management Alliance, an arm of the National Pest Management Association established in 1997 to increase awareness among consumers of the value of professional pest management services. He is a graduate of Princeton University.
