Scott Armstrong, CEO, Pioneer Square Brands

ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Career Conversations

Scott Armstrong is a seasoned general manager with extensive experience leading specialty consumer products companies. In 2004, Scott started CKA Capital, a private equity firm seeking to invest in consumer products companies in the Pacific Northwest. This venture led to the acquisition of Fairhaven Group Inc, dba Brenthaven (www.brenthaven.com). As the CEO of Brenthaven, Scott led the company to double-digit sales and profit growth, eventually selling the company to Gladstone Ventures in 2017. He remains the President and CEO of the new company called Pioneer Square Brands. From 2000-2004, Scott ran the merchandise division at Starbucks Coffee Company, a $200M business that includes all of the retail products found in Starbucks Cafes around the world. During his tenure at Starbucks, Scott and his team doubled the business and in 2003 achieved the best results the company had experienced in over a decade. Prior to joining Starbucks, Scott held several key roles in the Asia-Pacific Region for Bausch and Lomb’s Ray-Ban Sunglass Division. As the Regional Brand Manager based in Hong Kong, Scott directed the development and execution of regional marketing programs across twelve Asian countries. From there, he went on to lead marketing and product management for Ray-Ban Sunglasses in Australia/New Zealand. Scott began his career at Princess Cruises where we worked as an Operations Manager, planning and leading group tours around the world. He has traveled extensively and lived in several countries in Asia including China, Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong. From these travels, he gained a proficiency in conversational Mandarin Chinese and a global perspective on business. Scott is actively involved in his community and served as a trustee of the Make-A-Wish Foundation from 2004-2008. He holds an MBA from New York University and a BA from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. His is an avid tennis player and enjoys spending time with his wife Kim and three children (2 girls and a boy), ages 16, 14 and 12.