John 'Jack' Link is an American entrepreneur and the founder of Jack Link's Meat Snacks. Born into a family with deep culinary traditions, his great-grandfather Chris Link settled in northern Wisconsin in the 1880s, bringing with him Old World sausage recipes.

Jack grew up helping with the family's cattle and sausage business. The idea for his billion-dollar brand reportedly popped into his head in 1986 while out hunting with his family, when he realized he could turn his great-grandfather’s recipes into high-quality beef jerky.

• Core Company: Jack Link’s (Link Snacks, Inc.).
• Founding: Established the eponymous brand in Minong, Wisconsin in 1986.
• Origins: Fourth-generation meat processor using family heritage recipes.

Jack Link’s career is defined by his transformation of a traditional meat product into a global 'protein snack' powerhouse. His structural achievement is tied to the marketing genius of the 'Messin’ with Sasquatch' ad campaign, which made the brand a household name.

Under his leadership, the company expanded from its Wisconsin roots to operate massive facilities across the American Midwest. In 2014, he orchestrated the acquisition of Unilever's meat snack division, adding the Bifi and Peperami brands to his portfolio and establishing a dominant foothold in the European market. Today, his firm is the world's leading producer of meat snacks.

• Key Role: Founder and Chairman of Link Snacks, Inc..
• Major Deal: Acquisition of Unilever's meat snack unit for global expansion.