Kalen Thornton

Kalen Thornton is the Global Chief Brand Officer at Pizza Hut, where he leads the brand’s global strategy and serves their communities. Kalen is dedicated to using the power of sport, culture, and innovation to unlock human potential. In this role, he partners with the team to enhance Pizza Hut’s relevance with the next generation, evolve its brand positioning, and modernize consumer experiences across physical and digital platforms. He also served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Gatorade where he led brand strategy, integrated marketing, portfolio management, creative storytelling, and the expansion of consumer engagement across digital channels. Prior to that, he led transformational brand initiatives at Nike and Jordan Brand. Additionally, he worked in the financial industry with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He received his master’s in business from Stanford University, and his undergrad at the University of Texas. After college, he played professional football with the Dallas Cowboys.