David Clark (’91)

Category: Alumni Professional Achievement | Awards

2022 Alumni Professional Achievement Award Winner

David Clark’s career success has strengthened name-brand favorites like Yoplait and Cheerios. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UT’s Haslam College of Business and a master’s from the Carlson School of Management in Minneapolis. He is now President and CEO of Cereal Partners Worldwide, which was established in 1990 as a partnership between Nestlé and General Mills.

Clark combines results, creativity, and statistics to boost business models. His first administrative role was Vice President of Big G Adult Cereals. He was part of the team that relaunched Chex as the first mainstream gluten-free cereal. Additionally, while Clark worked for Big G, Fiber One rebranded to a prime spot in the cereal aisle and that encouraged Clark’s recognition on the 2010 Marketing Top 50 list. With his leadership, Cereal Partners returned sales and profit to record highs. As former President of Yoplait, Clark introduced a French-inspired yogurt line, Oui by Yoplait, reorganized manufacturing, and adjusted the company’s budget. Within two years, Yoplait tripled in profitability. Clark also pitched a spoon in the pint to expand the luxury ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs. Through successful marketing campaigns, he internationalized the brand and was recognized as a Top 30 Global Marketing Leader in 2014.

Before relocating to Switzerland in 2018 for Cereal Partners, Clark was involved with several different community organizations in Minneapolis to boost education and workforce readiness for school-aged children.

Clark actively serves as the nonexecutive board director of Owens-Illinois Glass and on the Carlson School of Management Board of Advisors.