Bret joined Jack Link's Beef Jerky in 2003 after eight years of progressive growth in brand and sales management positions at General Mills and Bush's Beans. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1990 with BBA in Accounting and began his career as a CPA at Price Waterhouse with a focus in the retail and manufacturing industries. He went on to receive his MBA in Marketing and Strategic Management at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. Bret lives with his wife, Sandy and 2 sons in suburban Minneapolis. He enjoys coaching and playing sports with his boys, reading, running, and water activities.