John van Driest

John Van Driest has a diverse work experience spanning various industries and roles. John started their career in the US Army, serving as a Battalion Signal Officer and later as a Company Executive Officer. After their military service, they joined FCB Global, where they worked as an Assistant Account Executive on the Coors Account and later as an Account Executive/Field Marketing Manager on the John Deere account. Following their time at FCB, they became the Vice President of Account Management at Ideas That Deliver, a strategic marketing and communications company, and eventually became the President and owner of the company. Most recently, John has been working at Menasha Packaging, where they held various leadership positions such as Manager of Regional Marketing and Lean/Continuous Improvement, Sales Manager, Manager of Customer Marketing & Design, Director of Retail Insight, Director of Retail & National Marketing, and currently serves as the Director of Business Development - Marketing & Communications.

John Van Driest completed their Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a focus on Marketing and Communications at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business from 1993 to 1997. In 1998, they were commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps after completing the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. Later, from 2002 to 2003, John earned their MBA in Marketing & Management from Loyola University Chicago.