Dick Sweeney


Richard "Dick" Sweeney is an American businessman and United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He is currently a Vice President at Keurig and a co-founder of the K-Cup single coffee brewing system.

Early life

Sweeney grew up in Roselle Park, New Jersey and graduated from Roselle Catholic High School in 1966. Three months later he was drafted, and served a tour of duty in Vietnam as a member of the United States Army. While serving his 13-month tour in Vietnam, Dick served as a medic then as a team leader on the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols - LRRP. Upon returning home to New Jersey from Vietnam, Dick graduated from Newark College of Engineering in 1982 financed by the GI Bill. After graduation, he enrolled in graduate school and received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1986.

Career

After returning home from Vietnam, Sweeney worked at United Parcel Service as a driver. After that, he went on to a factory job where he fell in love with the process, and decided to pursue higher education. Sweeney completed his education, and after amassing over 25 years of experience in manufacturing product development, he joined Keurig full-time in 1996 as the Vice President of Engineering. In 2006, NJIT awarded Sweeney with their Entrepreneurial Leadership Award.

Personal life

Dick has been married to his wife Els since 1986 and they have one daughter, Elsje. The Sweeneys currently reside in Winchester, Massachusetts, and Dick enjoys a variety of activities which include sailing and downhill skiing.