Bert Thornton

Bert Thornton is the retired President/COO and the Vice Chairman Emeritus of Waffle House, Inc.

He has board roles and advisory positions with many other organizations including the Studer Community Institute in Pensacola and educational organizations such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, The Museum School of Avondale Estates, Ga and the University of West Florida where he is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the College of Business, Center for Entrepreneurship.

Bert is also the author of Find an Old Gorilla: Pathways Through the Jungles of Business and Life, a well-received leadership book that has been called self-mentoring in a box, and the rising high achiever’s guide to what to do next. His most recent book, High Impact Mentoring: A Practical Guide to Creating Value in Other People’s Lives is co-authored with Dr Sherry Hartnett and is a handbook for both one-on-one mentors and full mentoring programs. It has been praised by leaders in higher education, non-profit organizations and corporate America.

Bert’s lifelong ambition is to help emerging leaders become successful.