Executive Team
Ron Graves, Chief Executive Officer and Board Director
Prior to Pinkberry, Ron was a General Partner at Maveron, where he invested in and managed early stage companies for ten years. He has more than 20 years of experience in start-up operations and marketing. Ron began his career as an officer in the United States Air Force, where he served as an instructor and F-16 fighter pilot. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
Michael Dixon, Chief Financial Officer
Michael Dixon most recently served as CFO of The Cheesecake Factory. Prior to that, Mike was the Vice President and Controller for Petsmart.com and held a variety of finance and business development positions at Walt Disney. Mike began his career in auditing at Coopers & Lybrand and is a Certified Public Accountant. He received a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Masters in Accounting from the University of Michigan.
Todd Putman, Vice President of Marketing
Most recently Todd served as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience for the Westfield Group. Todd has also held marketing leadership positions at Coca-Cola and Walt Disney and spent ten years at Procter and Gamble.
Karen Kelley, Vice President of Operations
Karen joins Pinkberry with 25 years of restaurant experience. Most recently, she was the Senior Vice President of Operations and Human Resources at Jamba Juice, managing over 725 locations globally. Karen has also held operation leadership roles at Boston Market and Taco Bell.
Mike Beck, Vice President of Store Development
Mike joined Pinkberry with 20 years of experience in real estate operations for consumer brands. Most recently, Mike was Vice President of Real Estate for Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and spent seven years as Vice President of Development at Blockbuster Entertainment Group. Mike also held executive positions at Helio Inc, Advance America Cash Centers and Extended Stay America Hotels.
Eric Snyder, Vice President of People
Before Pinkberry, Eric was the Vice President of Corporate Human Resources and Organizational Development for DFS Group Limited, a retailer with international operations in Asia. Eric was also a Senior Training and Organizational Development professional at Mervyn’s and has over 25 years experience in human resources and training.
Mark Friedman, Vice President Business Development and General Counsel
For five years, Mark served as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the American Golf Corporation and managed the company’s business development activities. Prior to that, Mark worked in various senior counsel capacities for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and British Petroleum (BP). Mark received his law degree from the University of Southern California.
Shelly Hwang, Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer and Board Director
See Founders.
Young Lee, Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer and Board Director
See Founders.
Board of Directors
Howard Schultz, Board Director
Mr. Schultz is the Chairman of Starbucks Coffee Company and the co-founder of the venture capital firm, Maveron.
Dan Levitan, Board Director
Mr. Levitan is the co-founder and managing partner of the venture capital firm, Maveron.
Michael Casey, Board Director
Mr. Casey spent ten years at Starbucks Coffee Company as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. Michael currently serves on the board of directors for Lululemon Athletica, Inc. and Nasdaq.
Ted Philip, Board Director
Mr. Philip is a Managing General Partner of the Highland Consumer Fund. Mr. Philip was one of the founding members of Lycos, serving at various times as the President, CFO and COO, and has over twenty years of experience with industry consumer brands such as The Walt Disney Company, Miramax and Hasbro.
Ron Graves, Chief Executive Officer and Board Director
See Executive Team.
Shelly Hwang, Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer and Board Director
See Founders.
Young Lee, Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer and Board Director
See Founders.
Founders
Shelly Hwang, Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer and Board Director
Shelly was inspired by the Italian gelato experience and America’s love for ice-cream to develop the unique Pinkberry recipe that has revolutionized the frozen yogurt category. Shelly is intimately involved in product development and remains deeply committed to uncompromising quality.
Young Lee, Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer and Board Director
Young brings his distinctive architecture background to the design of each Pinkberry store. He strives to connect with the customer through the physical design in order to make each Pinkberry look as clean and fresh as its product. Pebble floors, Philippe Starck furniture and Le Klint lamps balance the contemporary style and highlight the sensory experience.
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