Building Careers by Putting People First – Addison Thornton on Leadership and Employer Branding
Addison Thornton is a Program Specialist in Employer Brand & Engagement based in Chicago, Illinois. She is an emerging leader in employer branding, workforce strategy, recruitment marketing and community engagement. With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College, she combines an understanding of human behaviour with a practical approach to building meaningful connections between organisations and the people they serve.
Raised in the St. Louis area, Addison developed an early commitment to leadership, service, and community involvement. Through her participation in Jack and Jill of America, Inc., she was introduced to opportunities that strengthened her confidence, communication skills, and understanding of service-based leadership. Her early experiences in athletics also reinforced discipline, resilience, and teamwork. These principles continued to shape her development at Spelman College, where she served as Class Vice President for two consecutive years, held leadership positions across several student organizations, and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Through these experiences, she developed a passion for transforming creative ideas into meaningful initiatives that educate, engage, and positively impact the communities around her.
Professionally, Addison has gained experience across human resources, talent operations, consumer insights, brand marketing, and employee engagement through opportunities with organizations including Advantage Solutions, Fiserv, Beats by Dre, The Coca-Cola Company, and NARS Cosmetics. In her current role at Advantage Solutions, she contributes to initiatives focused on strengthening employer brand visibility, employee advocacy, and engagement. Her work has allowed her to apply her understanding of human behavior while developing skills in program strategy, cross-functional collaboration, and project execution.
Alongside her corporate career, Addison is a Co-Founder of After Five, a women-led social experience collective founded by five Spelman alumni. Through curated events and experiences for young professionals, she has strengthened her skills in brand development, strategic partnerships, marketing, event execution, and business operations. The experience has also reinforced her entrepreneurial mindset and ability to bring creative concepts to life while navigating the responsibilities of building and growing a business.
Outside of work, Addison remains committed to mentoring, volunteering and promoting leadership development. She enjoys hiking, yoga, creative marketing and event planning. Throughout her career, she has remained focused on creating opportunities for others, believing that lasting success is measured not only by results, but also by the positive impact made on individuals, organisations and communities.
Q&A with Addison Thornton, Program Specialist, Employer Brand & Engagement
Tell us about your background. What first inspired your interest in leadership?
I grew up in the St. Louis area in a family that placed a strong emphasis on faith, service, education, and community. At a young age, I became involved in Jack and Jill of America, Inc., which introduced me to leadership through community engagement, service, and opportunities to develop my confidence and communication skills. Looking back, I think those experiences helped shape my understanding of leadership before I even recognized it as such. I learned early on that leadership is not necessarily about being the person in charge, but about understanding how your involvement, voice, and actions can positively impact the people around you.
You were involved in academics, athletics, and community organizations from an early age. How did those experiences shape your approach to leadership?
I think being involved in several different activities at a young age taught me the importance of balance, discipline, and accountability. Athletics certainly played a role in developing those principles, particularly when it came to teamwork, consistency, and resilience. However, my community involvement also challenged me to think beyond my individual responsibilities and consider how I could contribute to something greater than myself. Together, those experiences helped me become comfortable taking initiative, managing competing priorities, and working with different personalities, all of which are skills I continue to rely on today.
How did Spelman College influence your career?
Spelman College played an instrumental role in preparing me for the professional I am becoming today. One of the things I appreciate most about my experience is that Spelman challenged me early on to think intentionally about the impact I wanted my work to have, not just the positions I wanted to hold or the accomplishments I wanted to achieve.
Through my involvement in campus leadership, particularly serving as Class Vice President for two years and holding positions in other student organizations, I was constantly challenged to take creative ideas and turn them into tangible experiences. A large part of my involvement centered around developing programming and events that not only brought people together, but also informed, educated, and created meaningful conversations around topics that mattered to our community.
Those experiences taught me how to take an idea from concept to execution, collaborate with different stakeholders, manage expectations, and think strategically about the audience and impact of my work. At the same time, studying Psychology strengthened my understanding of human behavior, motivation, and the importance of connecting with people.
I think Spelman equipped me with more than just technical or academic knowledge. It gave me the confidence to take initiative, the ability to lead with purpose, and the understanding that creativity and strategy can work together to create meaningful outcomes. As I continue navigating my transition into corporate America, I recognize how much of that foundation I rely on every day.
Was there a leadership lesson that changed your perspective?
Absolutely. One of the biggest lessons I learned early in my leadership journey was that having a great idea is only the beginning. I have always been someone who enjoys being creative and bringing new ideas to the table, but my experiences taught me that successful execution requires just as much intentionality, preparation, and communication as it does creativity.
That became especially clear during my time serving as Externals Co-Chair for SKIRTS at Spelman. Working alongside a team to develop initiatives, coordinate programming, and support fundraising efforts challenged me to think more strategically about the planning and collaboration required to create meaningful outcomes. It taught me that leadership is not simply about having a vision. It’s about creating the structure, building the relationships, and doing the work necessary to bring that vision to life.
You also have an entrepreneurial background. Tell us about that.
During my time at Spelman, four of my classmates and I co-founded After Five, a women-led social experience collective focused on creating curated experiences that bring young professionals together through music, culture, and community. What initially started as a creative idea has grown into an opportunity for us to build a brand and expand into new markets.
Through After Five, I’ve gained hands-on experience in branding, partnership development, marketing, budgeting, and event execution. More importantly, entrepreneurship has taught me the importance of ownership and being comfortable navigating ambiguity. When you’re building something from the ground up, there isn’t always a clearly defined process, so you have to be willing to think strategically, solve problems, and take initiative. Those are lessons I find myself applying in my corporate career as well.
How did you move into employer branding and workforce engagement?
My interest in employer branding developed naturally from my background in Psychology and my previous experiences across human resources, talent operations, and brand marketing. I’ve always been interested in understanding people, what motivates them, what makes them feel connected to a community, and how their experiences influence their perceptions.
When I began exploring employer branding, I realized it brought together several areas I was already passionate about: human behavior, storytelling, strategy, creativity, and relationship-building. Now, in my role at Advantage Solutions, I have the opportunity to explore how organizations can communicate their culture authentically while creating experiences that resonate with both current and prospective employees. It’s been especially rewarding to see how concepts I studied at Spelman translate into the work I’m doing today.
What achievement are you most proud of professionally?
One of the initiatives I’m particularly proud to contribute to is the development of the One Advantage Brand Influencer Program at Advantage Solutions. The program focuses on exploring how authentic employee voices and experiences can strengthen employer brand visibility and help people better understand the organization beyond traditional recruitment messaging.
What makes this experience especially meaningful is having the opportunity to contribute to a program that brings together strategy, creativity, and human connection so early in my career. It has challenged me to think about how ideas are developed, how different stakeholders contribute to a shared objective, and how organizations can create opportunities for employees to become authentic advocates for their workplace.
You've worked with several well-known organisations. What have those experiences taught you?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that every organization operates differently, and there is so much value in being exposed to different industries, business functions, and ways of thinking. Through my experiences with organizations such as Fiserv, Beats by Dre, The Coca-Cola Company, and NARS Cosmetics, I’ve had the opportunity to explore areas ranging from human resources and consumer insights to brand marketing and engagement.
Those experiences taught me to remain curious, ask thoughtful questions, and approach unfamiliar environments with a willingness to learn. They’ve also helped me recognize the importance of understanding how different parts of a business work together, something I believe will continue to be valuable as I grow professionally.
What qualities do you believe future leaders need most?
I believe adaptability, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and the ability to navigate ambiguity are going to be increasingly important for future leaders. As technology continues to evolve and organizations adapt to new ways of working, leaders will need to be comfortable with change while remaining intentional about understanding the people they lead.
I also think strong leaders have to be lifelong learners. You don’t always have to be the person with every answer, but you should be willing to ask the right questions, listen to different perspectives, and create an environment where people feel empowered to contribute.
How do you define success today?
At this stage in my life and career, I define success through growth, impact, and intentionality. Of course, achieving goals and producing meaningful results is important to me, but I also think success is about who you’re becoming throughout the process.
I constantly challenge myself to think about what I’m learning, how I’m contributing, and whether the work I’m doing is creating value beyond my individual accomplishments. I want to continue becoming someone who not only achieves personal and professional success, but also creates opportunities and meaningful experiences for the people around me.
What advice would you give to students and young professionals starting their careers?
My biggest piece of advice would be to get comfortable being uncomfortable and don’t wait until you feel completely prepared to pursue an opportunity. Some of the experiences that have shaped me the most came from saying yes to something I hadn’t necessarily done before and trusting myself to learn along the way.
I would also encourage students and young professionals to be intentional about getting involved, building genuine relationships, and asking questions. Don’t underestimate the value of experiences outside of a traditional internship or job. Whether it’s community service, student leadership, entrepreneurship, or mentorship, those opportunities can help you develop skills that become incredibly valuable later in your career.
Most importantly, remain curious and remember that your career is something you’re continuously building. You don’t have to have everything figured out to start making an impact.
