Scott Nelson

Chief Marketing Officer | Buffalo Wild Wings

United States

About

Scott Nelson is a transformative marketing executive, founder, and operator with deep experience building and scaling brands, platforms, and marketing organizations across iconic consumer companies and venture-backed technology startups. His work sits at the intersection of culture, product, and growth. Scott brings big-brand discipline to fast-moving environments and startup velocity to established brands. Scott is a 3x Emmy-nominated, Emmy-winning marketer whose work has helped drive some of the most notorious and awarded brand and business initiatives in the industry. His career spans multiple Marketer and Advertiser of the Year honors, with recognition from Cannes Lions, the Effies, and beyond.

Experience

  • Vice President, Head of Marketing at Tatte Bakery & Cafe
    2025 - 2026 · 1 yr

  • CEO/Founder at Make Hay
    Jun 2023 - Jan 2025 · 1 yr 8 mos

    Born out of Purdue University’s DIAL fellowship program, secured $1M in venture funding from High Alpha Innovation and Purdue to launch a SaaS marketing digital video platform that enables brands to produce authentic and trusted food-related content at scale, all while amplifying and empowering the voices of America's Agriculture Industry.

  • President at SAVRpak
    2021 - 2024 · 3 yrs

    Named a Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Company”, SAVRpak fights food waste with extensive IP by keeping food fresher, longer. It leverages thermodynamics to attack food’s #1 enemy, condensation. From the United Nations to Sysco to TIME to SXSW to P&G to World Food Innovation to UC Davis, SAVRpak is continuously recognized by iconic leading organizations.

  • Vice President, Marketing at Panera Bread
    Feb 2017 - Jan 2021 · 4 yrs

    Led the 100% Clean Food and Transparency crusade, disrupting the food system, and inspiring food culture at one of America’s most beloved and notorious brands.

  • Head of North America at Rakuten Viber
    Jan 2015 - Feb 2017 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    One of the world’s largest mobile messaging apps with 1Billion users, led the North American Viber operation, a Tel Aviv based leading mobile messaging platform and one of the Top 10 Most Downloaded Apps Ever.