Al Cason
President and Chief Operating Officer, Bud’s Best Cookies Right after college, Birmingham native Cason went to work for his father, Bud, at his dad’s new company, Bud’s Best Cookies. Cason worked his way up, eventually handling purchasing and logistics for six years. He became president and CEO after graduating from the Harvard University Business School. BEVERAGE OF CHOICE Perrier ON MY BUCKET LIST A multi-week European river cruise with my wife, Jenifer PASSION/HOBBY Alabama football SMARTPHONE APP Waze FAVORITE MUSICIAN Eric Clapton DESSERT White chocolate bread pudding and Bud’s Best Cookies
Jeff Cooke
President, Access Marketing Cooke is president of Access Marketing, Inc., a full-service marketing firm in Birmingham. Access Marketing provides research and implements ideas, strategy, branding, and execution. Access Marketing specializes in consumer products, business-to-business, retail, and new product launches. Current and past clients include the following companies: Nike, Converse, Mission Skin Care, Adidas, Tap Out, Applebee’s, Fuse Science, Crown Royal, Foot Locker Companies, and Newcastle. Cooke executed marketing programs with many star athletes including Tiger Woods, Tiki and Ronde Barber, and Jim Kelly, to name a few. Prior to owning Access Marketing, Cooke was president and CEO of AmMark Global Marketing. ALMA MATER The University of Alabama ON MY BUCKET LIST Take a year off to attend every music festival across the globe PASSION/HOBBY Playing the drums; music; any time I can spend on my boat FAVORITE CHARITY Big Oak Ranch SMARTPHONE APP Uber and Pandora FAVORITE BOOK OR MOVIE The E Myth by Robert Gerber FAVORITE MUSICIAN Elvis Presley
Burton Dunn, Andrew Pharo, Eric Meyer, Taylor DeBoer, Andy Gwaltney Founders, Cahaba Brewing Company
Cahaba Brewing Company was founded in the summer of 2011 by a group of friends united by their love of craft beer and home brewing. From the beginning, Cahaba Brewing Company has had the goal of providing Birmingham
with clean and consistent craft beers with a broad variety of flavors and styles. They started brewing beer in the late spring of 2012 and officially opened to the public in September 2012. Cahaba found a new location and began the expansion process in early 2015. They celebrating “Last Pint Night” at the original Third Avenue South location in mid-January 2016; the new 51,000-square-foot building, located in the Historical Continental Gin, is now open. The new taproom offers a window looking into the production facility, a covered patio, and ample parking. The space is also flexible, offering multiple options for all varieties of private event needs.
J. Thomas Hill
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Vulcan Materials Hill was elected chairman of the board for Vulcan Materials Company in December 2015 and president and CEO in July 2014. Hill has been with Vulcan for more than 25 years, serving in a variety of operations and general management assignments of increasing responsibility since first joining the company in 1979. Prior to being named CEO, Hill was executive vice president and chief operating officer for the company, having previously served as senior vice president of Vulcan’s South Region. He has also served as president of Vulcan’s former Florida Rock Division, as well as the Company’s Southwest Division. Hill worked for Redlands Stone Products from 1990 to 1996 in sales and operations management, before rejoining Vulcan as vice president and general manager of the Company’s Southwest Division. Hill is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Wharton School of Business, Executive Management Program.
Jason D. Hoff
President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Since becoming president and CEO of MBUSI in 2013, Hoff has led the company’s more than 3,500 team members making the GLE-Class, GL-Class, and GLE Coupe luxury sport-utility vehicles, as well as the new C-Class for the North American market. Hoff has more than 20 years of experience with Daimler AG, the parent company. He joined Daimler AG in 1993 through the Daimler International Management Associates program. One of his first assignments was serving as controller for the initial $350-million Mercedes-Benz Project investment. ALMA MATER Linfield College, McMinnville, OR TOUGHEST CHALLENGE Parenting SMARTPHONE APP ESPN FAVORITE MUSICIAN Eric Clapton DESSERT My wife’s chess pie
James C. Lee III Chairman of the Board and CEO, Buffalo Rock Company
Lee carries on a long family tradition in serving as chairman and CEO at Buffalo Rock, one of the largest Pepsi-Cola franchises owned by a single family in the United States. He is the fourth generation Lee to take over the business. Buffalo Rock began in 1901 and now employs over 2,000 www.BHMBIZ.com
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