Maria Hokanson is the executive vice president of U.S. marketing at International Dairy Queen Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. She oversees all marketing, promotions, media, branding and advertising efforts related to the Dairy Queen® system in the U.S. In her nearly 14-year career with DQ, Hokanson has worked in various marketing roles and projects including leadership of the $5 lunch program and Blizzard® treat innovation. Most recently she was vice president of U.S. product and brand marketing. In that role she was responsible for product innovation, consumer insights, menu strategy and the U.S. marketing calendar. A twenty-year retail marketing veteran, Hokanson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising from the University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill. and a graduate certificate in internal communications from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn. Hokanson currently lives in Minneapolis with her family which includes their dog Buster, who is named after the DQ Buster® Bar.