Cody C. Ashwell - Chairman and CEO, Ashwell holds a major stake in the company. His vision is to leverage Javo's proven and cutting-edge brewing technology to build a global beverage company in the $70 billion worldwide wholesale coffee market. Ashwell's passion, coupled with his business acumen and entrepreneurial leadership skills, have enabled him to successfully forge and direct Javo's executive management team. Prior to joining Javo he was managing partner of Ashwell, Marshall & Associates, a financial services and consulting firm specializing in financial and management solutions for small-cap companies. He founded a successful financial and insurance services firm that was later sold to the Allstate Insurance Corporation.
William C. Baker has been a Director of Javo since January 2004. Mr. Baker also serves as a director of Callaway Golf Company, Public Storage, Inc. and California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. Previously, Mr. Baker served as a Director of La Quinta Corporation (f/k/a The Meditrust Companies), President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc., a subsidiary of Magna International, Inc., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Santa Anita Companies, Inc., Chairman of Santa Anita Realty Enterprises, Inc. and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Santa Anita Operating Company. Mr. Baker also served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Red Robin International, Inc. (a restaurant chain) from May 1993 to May 1995, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Carolina Restaurant Enterprises, Inc. from August 1992 to December 1995. He was the principal shareholder and Chief Executive Officer of Del Taco, Inc. from 1977 until it was sold in 1988. Mr. Baker received his law degree in 1957 from the University of Texas.
Ron S. Beard has served as a Director of Callaway Golf Company since June 2001. He is Chair of the Audit Committee and serves as lead independent director. Mr. Beard is currently a partner in the Zeughauser Group, consultants to the legal industry. Mr. Beard is a retired former partner of the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. He joined the firm in 1964, served as Chairman of the firm from April 1991 until December 2001, and was also its Managing Partner from April 1991 until mid-1997. Mr. Beard served as Callaway Golf Company's general outside counsel from 1998 until he joined the Board of Directors. He received his law degree in 1964 from Yale Law School.
Jerry W. Carlton is an attorney specializing in tax and general business law and has been a partner in O'Melveny & Myers L.L.P. for 30 years. As Managing Partner of the firm's Orange County office for 15 years, Mr. Carlton handled hospital acquisitions and divestitures and was responsible for all legal aspects of a large managed care entity. Mr. Carlton has served as a director of numerous public and privately-held companies and on the boards of several charitable organizations, including: Phoenix House, Prentice Day School, Willametta K. Day Foundation, Arlington Investment Company, Vicente Management Company and the Foley Timber Company, Oakmont Corporation and Fibres International. Mr. Carlton earned his law degree from the University of Texas in 1967.
Terry C. Hackett specialized in business and real estate transactions during his legal career. Currently he is the President of Hackett Management Corporation, a real estate management company which manages the real estate assets, primarily retail properties, in which he is a partner. For fifteen years Mr. Hackett sat on the Board of Directors of Knott's Berry Farm Foods which manufactured preserves, salad dressings, and other products for distribution throughout the United States. The company was sold to ConAgra in 1995. Mr. Hackett also sat on the Board of the parent company, Knott's Berry Farm which was involved in the theme park, retail and food service business. Subsequently, he was the representative for the Knott family on the Board of Cedar Fair LP, which acquired Knott's and has theme parks, retail, sales and food service and 12 locations throughout the U.S. Mr. Hackett has a degree in Business Finance from the University of Southern California School of Business and Jurist Doctorate from the University of Southern California University School of Law.
James R. Knapp has served as the Chairman of The Brookhollow Group, a Real estate investment and industrial and commercial development firm since 1980. Mr. Knapp currently serves as a director of Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation (formerly Bankers Life Nebraska) and Ameritas Acacia Mutual Holding Company. From 1975 to 1980, Mr. Knapp served as Executive Vice President and Director of Pacific Enterprises (Formerly Pacific Lighting Corporation), the largest gas distribution company in the United States, where he was in charge of the financial and legal affairs of the company (corporate finance, gas supply finance, law, accounting and administration) as well as non-utility operations (real estate development, agriculture and equipment leasing). From 1971 to 1975, Mr. Knapp was Group Vice President of Pacific Enterprises in charge of non-utility operations. From 1969 to 1971 he was President and Co-Founder Dunn Properties Corporation, a developer of industrial properties in California, Texas, Georgia and Colorado. From 1961 to 1969, he was a partner in the law firm of Kalmbach, DeMarco, Knapp & Chillingworth. Prior to that he was a partner and associate in the law firm of Kindel and Anderson. Mr. Knapp received a degree in Economics from Stanford University and Juris Doctorate from Hastings College of the Law.
Thomas J. Rielly is the founder of Rielly Homes, a California base homebuilding company that has built over 3,000 residences and commercial buildings throughout Southern California. As president of Rielly Homes, Mr. Rielly is directly involved in all aspects of real estate development including land acquisition, financing, lender-joint venture relationships, project design, construction, leasing and sales of properties. Prior to founding Rielly Homes, Thomas Rielly served for eight years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of BCE Development, Inc.'s United States Operations where he managed a staff of 370 and assets exceeding $2.5 billion.
Stanley A. Solomon is a Certified Public Accountant currently operating a professional practice specializing in providing tax consulting services. Previously, Mr. Solomon was a partner in the national accounting firm of Keeneth Leventhal & Company. Mr. Solomon has served as an outside director of two publicly traded corporations. He earned a B.S. degree in accounting from Hunter College and a J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School.
Richard B. Specter is a partner in the Southern California law firm of Corbett & Steelman. Mr. Specter has served as a litigator for more than 25 years with extensive experience in both Federal and State courts. He has acted as lead counsel in major litigation involving franchise disputes, distribution rights, unfair competition and trademark issues. He has also been involved in antitrust matters affecting the petroleum, sports and newspaper industries, Federal and State securities claims, and commercial transactions. Mr. Specter's trial experience includes the areas of products liability, business disputes, real estate matters, employment disputes; professional malpractice and banking litigation, and antitrust litigation. He received his B.A. from Washington University and his J.D. from George Washington University. Mr. Specter is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and Missouri Bar Association.
