Diana Nelson will replace her mother, Marilyn Carlson Nelson as chairman of Carlson.
The board of directors of Carlson, Minnetonka, Minnesota, announced on Tuesday that they elected Diana as the next chairman. Diana has served on the board since 2003.
Diana will be only the third chairman of the privately held company’s board, preceded by Marilyn Carlson Nelson, and the company’s founder, Diana’s grandfather Curt Carlson.
“As leadership of the company passes to the third generation, I’m honored to continue the legacy started by my grandfather,” Diana said. “Carlson continues to be a very strong company. We’re fortunate to have Trudy Rautio at the helm.”
The switch at chairman at Carlson comes after the recent departure of its CEO of four years, Hubert Joly. The company promoted CFO Trudy Rautio as its fifth president and CEO.
In addition to her current role on the Carlson board, Diana serves on the board of Governors of Carlson Holdings Inc. as well as on the board of directors for the Carlson Family Foundation and The World Childhood Foundation. Nelson is also a member of the Harvard University Board of Overseers where she sits on the Executive Committee. She is on the advisory board of Prime Group, a San Francisco-based real-estate investment company.
Nelson’s career in marketing included work for Ogilvy and Mather Advertising and American Express Travel Related Services. She and her husband, John Atwater, and their five children live in San Francisco.