Kelley Thornton, Founder & CEO, Tiege Hanley

ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

Kelley Thornton is the Founder & CEO of Tiege Hanley. He was born and raised in Towson, MD. He moved to Brookfield, CT to finish up high school and start his first entrepreneurial pursuit, house painting. With the money he earned from the business, he financed his college tuition at the University of Connecticut, where he would meet his future business partner and co-founder of Tiege Hanley, Rob Hoxie. After college, Kelley entered the Metropolitan New York area workforce as a sales representative in the point-of-purchase display and packaging industry. A few years into his career he was tasked with developing a Chicago presence for his company, Phoenix Display & Packaging, which later became part of International Paper. He relocated to Chicago, IL in 1993 and continued his trajectory to National Accounts Manager and ultimately Regional Sales Manager. After a successful 20-year career in the throes of Corporate America, he left the industry to found his second company, Purchase Point LLC. Purchase Point helped CPG companies think differently about their in-store merchandising platforms. Growing quickly with global customers such as Unilever, Mars Wrigley, Bayer, and Pfizer, Kelley brought a creative approach to captivating consumers during the last seven seconds along their Path to Purchase. Through his experience at Purchase Point, Kelley found the rapidly growing men’s care industry inspiring. In 2016 he stepped away to found his next company, Tiege Hanley, a 6-year-old e-commerce company with the mission of helping men look and feel amazing. The business has evolved from selling three distinct Skin Care Systems to boasting a wide variety of products, including deodorant, bar soap, body wash, and a detoxifying clay mask. Tiege shipped its 1.5 millionth box in July 2022 and has over 350,000 customers worldwide. Kelley is focused on enriching the experience for all customers and guiding men to healthier lifestyles founded on self-confidence.