C-Suite Insights: Donald Evans (Chief Marketing Officer at The Cheesecake Factory, MBA '97)

Join us for an afternoon with Donald Evans, the current CMO of The Cheesecake Factory family of restaurants! Donald will share more about life as an executive of a major consumer facing brand, his career journey across industries (Warner Bros, Pixar, Walt Disney Company), and stories that shed a light on crisis management techniques. Food will be provided, including a selection of cheesecakes picked out by Donald!

Donald Evans is an accomplished global marketing and strategy executive with a diverse background spanning film, restaurants, real estate, tv and gaming industries, collaborating with renowned brands worldwide. Prior to his tenure at The Cheesecake Factory, Donald held key roles at industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, Pixar Animation Studios, and Warner Bros. He has provided strategic consulting services to prestigious organizations including The World Trade Center, Activision, and Wieden + Kennedy, in addition to cultivating partnerships with esteemed Fortune 500 companies such as McDonald’s, Volvo, Nestle, and others.

As Chief Marketing Officer at The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated since August 2011, Donald has led comprehensive marketing strategies across all brands, including The Cheesecake Factory and North Italia. His responsibilities encompass Marketing, Public Relations, Crisis Media Relations, International Marketing, Digital Initiatives, and Research. Notably, he spearheaded the successful launch of the company’s inaugural loyalty program, Cheesecake Rewards®, and oversees its grocery business, which has resulted in continued and sustained growth around its Famous Brown Bread. A recent hallmark achievement includes overseeing the company’s exclusive partnership with DoorDash in which he secured an industry-leading commission rate, a significant marketing fund, and continues to foster a robust and enduring relationship with DoorDash’s top executives.

Throughout his career Donald has had the privilege of working closely with and for renowned industry leaders including direct collaboration with visionaries such as David Overton, Ed Catmull, Bob Iger, and Steve Jobs, the latter of whom oversaw Pixar and held a significant stake in Disney. Additionally, he partnered on projects led by influential figures like Jerry Bruckheimer, notably contributing to projects such as “Pirates” and Peter Jackson for “The Lord of the Rings”. Further enriching his experience, Donald consulted with esteemed personalities like Magic Johnson and Oprah Winfrey for projects such as “The Princess and the Frog,” adding invaluable insights to his professional repertoire.

Donald is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Communication and holds an MBA in Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Additionally he brings extensive experience as a guest lecturer for prestigious colleges like University of Southern California, as well as taught his own course at the American Film Institute.

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