Alumnus Kenny Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer at Levi’s, to Deliver Tuck Investiture Address

Mitchell returns to Tuck one year after being named senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the venerated Levi’s brand at Levi Strauss & Co. For Mitchell, whose distinguished career has seen him lead marketing efforts for numerous iconic American brands, the move was a perfect fit.

“It’s a brand that I’ve admired for the longest time and that has remained culturally relevant,” he said in a 2023 Tuck Today feature story. “Levi’s is a consumer-obsessed business. You see that in everything from product design and development to the in-store experience to its storytelling and marketing strategy. I’m excited to advance those efforts and continue building the legacy.”

Prior to joining Levi’s, Mitchell served as the global chief marketing officer at Snap, Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. During his four-year tenure, Mitchell built and scaled the global marketing team to support the growth of the Snapchat community as well as the adoption of new products. Under his leadership, the company more than doubled the size of its user base and more than tripled its revenue.

Mitchell’s recent appointment at Levi’s and success at Snap are the latest accomplishments in a career filled with achievement, including impactful stints at McDonald’s, Gatorade, and NASCAR. In recognition of his innovative leadership, Mitchell was named one of “The Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company and has been featured on similar lists such as Forbes CMO NEXT, AdWeek 50, Business Insider: 25 Most Innovative CMOs, and Campaign Power 100. Additionally, he has received numerous creative awards, including multiple Cannes Lions and two Emmy nominations.

Mitchell credits Tuck professors like Ella Bell Smith for helping him become more comfortable in his own skin and discover the leader he aspired to be.

“You often don’t know how important these lessons are until you go out into the world and start using them,” Mitchell said in Tuck Today. “Ella and other professors like Mary Munter and her course on management communication prepared me to re-enter the workforce with so much more confidence in my ability to present myself and communicate in an effective way.”

Like many wise and decisive leaders who thrive with and through high-performing teams, Mitchell knows how to effectively position others for success. An inductee of the Dartmouth Sports Hall of Fame, he holds the Dartmouth men’s basketball record for most assists in a single season. In the 1996–97 campaign, he recorded 203 assists—the highest that season not just for Dartmouth but for all of college basketball.

“I like to tell people that I am a point guard through and through. Point guards know how to get the ball in people’s hands, so they’re well positioned to succeed and everyone wins,” Mitchell said in 2014. “That’s the motto I’ve adopted in my career.”

In addition to his leadership role at Levi Strauss & Co., Mitchell serves on the Board of Directors for e.l.f. Beauty and offers valuable insights to Tuck through the school’s MBA Council, on which he has served since 2018.

The 2024 Tuck Investiture ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The ceremony will be held on the steps of Tuck Hall. A livestream of the event will be available to community members, friends, and family who would like to tune into the ceremony. For general information including parking, visit the Investiture site and stay tuned for additional details.