---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-22-164040"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "FLO"
cik: "0001128928"
company_name: "FLOWERS FOODS INC"
filed_at: "2022-05-31T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-25T05:47:04.693213+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.55
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Flowers Foods COO retiring Dec 31; Heeth Varnedoe to succeed Jan 1, 2023

## Summary
- Bradley Alexander to retire after 41 years; receives $70K for COBRA premiums.
- Heeth Varnedoe, chief transformation officer, promoted to COO effective Jan 1, 2023.
- Annual meeting: all 12 directors elected; say-on-pay and PwC ratification passed.
- Shareholder proposal on political contribution disclosure failed (49% for, 51% against).

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-22-164040
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: FLO
- cik: 0001128928
- company_name: FLOWERS FOODS INC
- filed_at: 2022-05-31T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.55
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 5.07, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1128928/000119312522164040/0001193125-22-164040-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1128928/000119312522164040/d273445d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-22-164040
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-22-164040.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-22-164040.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Heeth Varnedoe was appointed as chief operating officer at FLOWERS FOODS INC.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: chief operating officer
  source text: the Company appointed Heeth Varnedoe, the current chief transformation officer of the Company, to serve as chief operating officer, effective January 1, 2023.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1128928/000119312522164040/0001193125-22-164040-index.htm
- Executive change
  Bradley K. Alexander departed as chief operating officer at FLOWERS FOODS INC.
  - Action: retire
  - Role: chief operating officer
  source text: Bradley K. Alexander, chief operating officer of Flowers Foods, Inc. (the “Company”), notified the Company that he will retire from this position at the end of the year after 41 years of service.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1128928/000119312522164040/0001193125-22-164040-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.