After learning to cook at age 12 and becoming obsessed with food, Dan Gertsacov planned to attend culinary school. While his mother nudged him toward the University of Richmond, he never gave up his first love.

At graduation in 1997, he kicked off a personal journey to master 50 different cuisines before turning to the corporate world. Over the next quarter-century, Gertsacov founded a nonprofit, oversaw digital transformation in Latin America with top companies, including five years of advancing leadership roles with Google, and broke into the food industry by marketing for an international group of McDonald’s franchises and as global CMO for Focus Brands, including Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s.

In August, Gertsacov became president of Atlanta-based Big Green Egg, which offers live-fire cooking in a Japanese-style ceramic grill and has a loyal following. Perhaps not surprisingly, he imported the first Big Green Egg to South America as he curated different grills designed for specific cooking styles. His new gig aligned with his 39th cuisine lesson, as he recently traveled to Monterrey in northern Mexico to study carne asada.

How did Gertsacov arrive at Big Green Egg? By asking himself the same questions he’s answered at every juncture.

1. What do you love to do?

At UR, Gertsacov majored in economics and international development, where he studied the role of the private sector in emerging countries — adding a minor in Spanish. A Fulbright Fellowship and Harvard MBA followed.

“Richmond allowed me to explore what I was interested in, which became the basis for my Fulbright and the nonprofit I started around corporate social responsibility,” said Gertsacov, who earned a track and field scholarship to throw the discus and hammer. On campus, he discovered rugby, a passion that carried into playing at Harvard and semi-professionally in New York.

2. What are you really good at?

Between joining a fraternity and seeking support for a dedicated rugby field, Gertsacov networked with administrators and developed leadership skills outside the classroom, gaining an appointment as the student representative to the Board of Trustees. “There are professional experiences you learn at a young age,” he said. “If I had gone to a bigger school, it would have been hard to do the different things I did at Richmond.”

3. What does the world need?

As an undergraduate, Gertsacov created a volunteer organization that taught English to refugees and studied abroad in Chile and Costa Rica. His early career brought service then technology evolution to developing nations. “The Fulbright propelled me on my social entrepreneur mission,” he said.

4. What can you get paid to do?

Richmond gave him many tools, and he now taps into his broader experiences, self-understanding, and world knowledge. “But it’s still the same question,” said Gertsacov, noting this role builds on his earlier careers. “My purpose is to bring people, food, and family together. That’s what I’m doing here at Big Green Egg.”