Speaker: Daniel Schwartz, Dyson ’01, Chief Executive Officer

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Restaurant Brands International, the third-largest fast food operator in the world, was formed by the merger between Burger King and Tim Hortons, Canada’s largest quick service restaurant chain. Daniel Schwartz was named CEO in 2013 at the age of 32 with no prior experience in the F&B industry. After graduating from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he worked for a hedge fund and subsequently moved on to 3G Capital where he played a key role in the company’s acquisition of Burger King.

As CEO, Mr. Schwartz turned Burger King around through cost saving strategies and new international agreements, increasing the number of restaurants worldwide from 1,493 in 2013 to 13,667 in 2014. But before making big changes, he spent his first few years in training cleaning bathrooms, making burgers, and interacting with customers in Burger King restaurants. In fact, Mr. Schwartz can make a Whopper in less than 35 seconds!