Titles

• President, Sweet Earth Natural Foods
• Member, Board of Directors of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at ASU

Biography

Brian Swette serves as President of California-based Sweet Earth Natural Foods; plant-based, farm-friendly foods sold at food stores throughout the country. He currently serves on the board of Shutterfly and Care.com, and also served as the Chairman of Burger King. Formerly the Chief Operating Officer of eBay, Mr. Swette oversaw its international expansion, marketing, customer support, and category innovation.

Prior to joining eBay, Mr. Swette was executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Pepsico. During his 17-year tenure, he was responsible for the worldwide advertising, promotion, and product innovation efforts of all Pepsi-Cola brands. Previously, Mr. Swette worked as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble.  Mr. Swette has also been a board member of Endeavor.org, which supports high-impact entrepreneurs in developing countries and which Tom Friedman calls "the best anti-poverty program of all."

Recognizing the necessity for continuous research and development of cutting edge sustainability-related technology, Mr. Swette has established the Swette Strategic Investment Fund at ASU. The Swette Strategic Investment Fund is intended to play a project and program development role for the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation. Through the identification of specific technological approaches poised for scientific breakthroughs, the Fund will target projects of three to five year duration that require a reliable stream of pilot results in order to successfully compete for larger federal and industrial grants.  

Education

• BS, Economics, Arizona State University