Mr. Sweatt is President of Darden Restaurants' New Business Division which is responsible for creating and testing new restaurant concepts for the corporation. He is also a past member of the Darden Board of Directors and a trustee of the Darden Foundation.

Mr. Sweatt has been with Darden, and its predecessor company General Mills, for 30 years. He began with Red Lobster in 1976 after receiving his MBA from the University of Central Florida and has led the company's new concept development efforts for over 25 years. Most of Darden's current businesses including The Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones BBQ and now Seasons 52 were all created by the New Business team.

He is well known throughout the restaurant industry and is a frequent participant in various conventions and panels He is a member of the University of Central Florida Hall of Fame and has been a member of the executive committees of both the College of Business and the Rosen Hotel of Hospitality Management.