# Brent Schott

> Brent Schott is the chief executive officer of Swanson Russell, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based advertising and marketing agency. He joined the company in 1990 as a computer graphic designer, moved through design, copywriting, database marketing and account service, became president in 2020 and later CEO. His public leadership record emphasizes continuity, employee development, specialist knowledge of outdoor and work-focused industries, and the practical use of emerging technology.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Swanson Russell
- **Organizations:** Swanson Russell
- **Education:** University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- **Known for:** Advanced from an entry-level computer graphics role to chief executive officer at the same agency., Helped lead Swanson Russell through a planned generational leadership transition., As CEO, oversaw the agency during its 60th anniversary and rebrand in 2022, when it reported 34% revenue growth over the preceding five years.

## Career timeline

- **1990** — Joined Swanson Russell as a computer graphic designer when the agency had 30 employees.
- **1990s-2010s** — Held roles spanning design, copywriting, database marketing and account service.
- **2018** — Was publicly identified as executive vice president/managing director and a minority owner of the closely held agency.
- **2020** — Appointed president of Swanson Russell after a transition process announced in 2017.
- **2022** — Served as CEO as the agency marked its 60th anniversary, reported five straight Best of Show awards and unveiled a new identity.
- **2024** — Published observations from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers annual conference, including the agency's early AI work.
- **2025** — Published the agency's approach to conversational AI personas and helped launch the quarterly OutThink publication.
- **2026** — Remained CEO as Swanson Russell received regional Best of NAMA recognition for work with the Cattlemen's Beef Board.

## Achievements

- Advanced from an entry-level computer graphics role to chief executive officer at the same agency.
- Helped lead Swanson Russell through a planned generational leadership transition.
- As CEO, oversaw the agency during its 60th anniversary and rebrand in 2022, when it reported 34% revenue growth over the preceding five years.
- Led the agency as its Cattlemen's Beef Board newsletter work won first place nationally at the 2025 Best of NAMA Awards.
- Supported development and internal adoption of conversational AI personas for research, ideation, product development and sales training.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Commented on Swanson Russell's regional Best of NAMA honors for communications created with the Cattlemen's Beef Board.
- **2025-11** — Led an internal SWANCON U demonstration of a developing AI persona and expert-agent workflow.
- **2025-08** — Announced OutThink, a quarterly publication sharing the agency's research and perspective for outdoor brands.
- **2025-04** — Published an explanation of Swanson Russell's conversational AI personas and their use in strategy, product development and sales training.

## Links

- Website: https://www.swansonrussell.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentschott
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/swansonrussell

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/brent-schott
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-24