Forty Under 40: Jay Thornton

Jay Thornton has been around. Palm Beach. Miami. Grand Rapids, Michigan. But that was in the past.

These days, he’s nice and comfortable at his office just off the Bentonville square on Central Avenue, where he’s the digital/social strategist for What’s Ahead, a leading retail marketing agency with deep ties to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and suppliers.

He meets with clients, makes an assessment of their needs, and helps execute the business plan.

“I love coming up with innovative solutions — something other people aren’t doing,” he said.

And he’s pretty good at doing it, too. Thornton is considered one of the architects behind the success of Collective Bias, the Rogers-based shopper marketing firm that erupted into one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. In a variety of roles, he was there for more than four years, and was instrumental in guiding the company through Series A funding.

He followed up on his tenure there with a short stint as chief technology officer at another big Northwest Arkansas startup, print and design firm Moxy Ox. Thornton then founded Cusac and Co., recently acquired by What’s Ahead.

His goal with the company is simple.

“I’m looking forward to growing emerging brands,” he said.

In addition to his executive role with a rising marketing firm, Thornton, who is from the south Arkansas town of Smackover, is reaping the rewards of being a young professional on the booming Bentonville square. 

“It’s amazing,” he said.