Sean Tresvant joined Taco Bell in January 2022 as the Global Chief Brand Officer. In February 2023, he was elevated to Global Chief Brand & Strategy Officer, and in January 2024 he will become CEO of Taco Bell, succeeding current CEO Mark King after he retires at the end of 2023. Sean currently leads a multi-functional team to fuel the cult of Taco Bell. As CEO, he will assume global responsibility for driving Taco Bell’s growth strategies, franchise operations and overall performance. At the helm of the ever-evolving brand, Sean will also take on the position of Vice Chairman of the Taco Bell Foundation, keeping social impact at the center of the brand. 

 

For the past two years, Sean has led Taco Bell into a new age of transformative global marketing, spearheading boundary-pushing, multi-dimensional efforts that drive culture, initiate change and create impact. He has set a powerful strategic framework that has created iconic moments within culture and driven massive awareness and buzz for the brand, most recently liberating “Taco Tuesday” – because when tacos win, we all win. Beyond that, Sean spearheaded the Mexican Pizza Return, tapping pop star Doja Cat and country music icon Dolly Parton to rally behind the movement; he empowered fan voices through the brand’s Voting program; and has found new ways to connect with audiences through programs like Drag Brunch Tour, Metaverse Weddings, as well as unique collaborations with brands like Crocs. Under Sean’s leadership, the brand was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, secured a spot as one of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies, was ranked #1 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list for the third year in a row, and most recently was recognized as Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2023 Brand Icon.

 

Sean is a founding member of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) where he creates and advocates for opportunity and access for Black marketing professionals. Before his time at Taco Bell, Sean spent over 15 years at Nike working his way up from Director of Marketing for the Americas to Chief Marketing Officer for the Jordan Brand. He also spent time at Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated brand and PepsiCo.

 

Born and raised in Seattle, Sean received his MBA from Seattle University and his BA and MA in Communications from Washington State University, where he also played basketball for the Cougars. Outside of work, Sean enjoys spending time with his two children, is an avid art collector and sports enthusiast.