Dwain’sWorld…a brief bio

I am thrilled to be leading Chick-fil-A’s Innovation Organization! This is a once-in-a-lifetime position that I could not have imagined three years ago.

In ’07 I left The Coca-Cola Company to found a consulting and design firm called Fighting Elk Enterprises. For three years I had the time of my life watching this company grow and succeed. Fighting Elk provided me with a platform for working with a number of recognized companies: Schwan’s, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Tate & Lyle, Pillsbury, Chick-fil-A, and others. At the end of ’09 I was offered the opportunity to join Chick-fil-A, one of the most admired companies in the quick service restaurant industry, to help provide thought leadership in the area of Innovation. I jumped at the chance!

Prior to founding Fighting Elk, I held various positions of leadership for The Coca-Cola Company and Eastman Kodak. A variety of assignments, including the design and on-site construction of a research lab in Malaysia, the creation of a Global Packaging College, the establishment of a New Product Development Process, and the roll-out of an Advanced Materials Research Lab, are just a few of my corporate experience highlights.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Polymer Science, an MBA (marketing focus), and a Ph.D. in Chemistry. I am a certified Project Management Professional and a certified New Product Development Professional.

In ’07 my wife Donna and I established a nonprofit enterprise called the Gel Fund, which we use to support many local and global relief efforts. Donna is the pantry director at our local food bank – The Real Life Center. I am an Elder at Dogwood Church and I teach high school seniors at Dogwood Student Ministries.

I am an avid runner, triathlete, and fishing fanatic. Donna and I share our lives with our three sons: Dustin, Heath, and Joshua.