David Watterson

David Watterson serves as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Martin Marietta Materials Inc, having joined them 18 months ago.

He has over 15 years of experience in forensics and has vast expertise with both proactive and reactive projects. He has managed and participated in projects ranging from financial crime risk assessments to global investigations.

Early Life and Education

Born in Washington D.C., Watterson moved with his family to Chagrin Falls, Ohio at six. Later graduating from Kenyon College where he served as cartoonist for their student paper.

Watterson developed “Calvin and Hobbes” after submitting several comic strip ideas to various syndicates, ultimately becoming an internationally acclaimed strip about an energetic first grader named Calvin who plays with an imaginary toy tiger named Hobbes. Winning two National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards (1986 and 1988), its popularity helped revolutionize comic strips in America.

Calvin and Hobbes was an immensely popular graphic novel for more than ten years, winning multiple Harvey Awards and being shortlisted for Grand Prix at Angouleme International Comics Festival. Watterson staunchly opposed any commercialization of his work; refusing to license Calvin and Hobbes for merchandise like T-shirts, toys or greeting cards.

Professional Career

David Watterson has an expansive and varied career that spans multiple industries and roles, from high potential assessment and leadership coaching to developing organizational development plans, designing personality assessments for talent selection purposes, and more.

He has worked closely with clients from large multinationals to entrepreneurial start-ups, to develop executive leadership strategies and resilience during periods of transformation. He strongly believes in the power of great leadership to transform society for good.

Constellation Brands, known for producing Corona Extra and St. Pauli Girl beer brands, recently hired him as their Chief Information Officer (CIO), where he reports directly to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prior to this position he served at Martin Marietta Materials where he held the same role.

Achievement and Honors

Watterson is a renowned cartoonist and is best known as the creator of Calvin and Hobbes. His works have won several accolades, such as Reuben Award and Grand Prix at Angouleme International Comics Festival.

He has been recognized by multiple organizations, including the National Cartoonists Society and RHR International. Furthermore, SCP Division 13 conferred upon him its Excellence in Consultation award.

Watterson uses this pedagogy to foster transformational learning and encourage her students to examine how their lives intersect with those around them, the environment and global issues.

Personal Life

Watterson has an extended history of reclusivity, often declining interviews and remaining out of public view. He does not have children but lives with Melissa instead.

He is best-known for creating Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip which ran in newspapers between 1985 and 1995 and became one of the most beloved comics in America during this time period.

Watterson championed comic strips as an art form and believed their commercialization had devalued them. To stand by his ideals, he waged a conflict against his syndicate’s pressure to merchandise their characters.

Net Worth

David Watterson is the Chief Strategy Officer of iFIT and holds a degree in marketing from Utah State University. As such, he oversees its overall strategy including product, merchandising, analytics, planning and development.

His family owns shares in iFIT and all four of his sons work there – with Mark, his eldest, recently being appointed co-president.

iFIT has managed to remain profitable despite some initial difficulties and donated over 1 Million masks to Utah residents. Furthermore, they employed several workers from Logan and Cache Valley as well as making donations to hospitals, nursing homes, and fire departments throughout Utah.