Xavier Bethune (?)
 

I noticed the following in CO's recent Proxy. What's the plan with Xavier - he is working there because his father us CEO, or is he being groomed for future greatness?

An adult child of one of our executive officers . . . [is] employed by the company: Xavier Bethune (Senior Director-Purchasing) . . . Mr. Bethune is the son of Gordon Bethune, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer . . . Th[is] individual received aggregate salaries and bonuses in 2002 of $159,220 . . . along with equity incentives and employee flight and other benefits typical to their levels of employment. Due to a foreign work assignment, Xavier Bethune also received $45,286 in expatriate allowances and $21,539 as a relocation gross-up in connection with his return to the United States.

Not until he goes to a media-relations charm school where they teach execs how to call competitors (that are profitable) stupid.

That one caught my notice, too. I'd be very curious to see Xavier's qualifications. The bit about expat allowances and a relo gross-up sure make it sound like a young playboy on a boondoggle!

And what precisely was he directing the purchasing of in a foreign location? Maybe down in Rio supervising junglejet deliveries from Copacabana or Ipanema???

More likely running part of the operations at Continental Micronesia, perhaps.

As "Senior Director-Purchasing" I believe he is just completing his year long study, "The Thirst in First: How Rum Selection Can Differentiate CO's Premium Service from the HIV-Infected Competition"

He's leaning toward recommending Bundaberg Rum at the moment.

I doubt it. Guam is part of the United States (not "expatriate"), and I've never seen his name in the Guam Business News or local CO press releases.