Alumni Feature: Ashley (’07) and Mark Thorne (’07)
“Phil Clements taught us that ‘in God’s world, business done right is a blessing.’ We believe this and our hope is to bless companies, their families, and their customers through our work.”
This fall, we connected with a number of young alumni from The King’s College to hear how they’re spending their time. How do they reflect on their years at King’s, and what has it looked like in practice for them to pursue the mission of shaping institutions? Read more alumni stories here.
Name and Graduation Year
Mark Thorne, B.S. Business Management, The King’s College, 2007; M.B.A. Rutgers University, 2014
Ashley Thorne, B.A. Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, The King’s College, December 2007; M.A. Linguistics, CUNY Graduate Center, 2014
Current Occupation
Mark: Founding Director of Buckle, providing insurance and credit to the gig economy; and Cofounder and Managing Director of M&A Consultants and Advisors
Ashley: Cofounder and Director of Operations of M&A Consultants and Advisors
What does a typical day look like for you?
Mark: It’s usually a combination of day-to-day work for Buckle and M&A, and strategic meetings with leaders of companies and organizations evaluating growth objectives, execution, and influence in various markets.
Ashley: I perform financial and operational analysis for clients like charitable foundations, a college entrance exam, a non-profit serving U.S. veterans, and environmental engineering companies. Other days, I homeschool our 4 year-old son.
How did your experiences as a King’s student (either in class or outside of it) give you a deeper perspective that you now use in your day to day?
Both of us received over ten years of mentorship from particular King’s professors whose guidance and teaching shaped our adult lives for good.
Mark: Phil Clements, who taught in the King’s business department, brought me on to help found Cathedral Consulting. I worked with him closely until Phil’s passing in 2015, after which I became CEO.
Ashley: Peter Wood, King’s former provost, worked with me when I headed up Interregnum 2007, and subsequently brought me into the National Association of Scholars, where I eventually served as executive director.
We are incredibly thankful to our mentors for the generous care and kindness they gave us, and to King’s for preparing us to learn from them. King’s was an important part of our professional and spiritual growth pushing us to understand contemporary applications of classic ideas and encouraging us to find God’s calling for our lives. In 2004 we started attending Redeemer Presbyterian Church along with several mutual friends and we continue to be active members today. Redeemer has been a place where we’ve been challenged to consider ways our faith informs our vocations. Attending King’s was a blessing that has influenced every aspect of our lives.
In what ways do you see your current work contributing to God’s restoration of the world (or whatever larger purpose you see yourself as part of)?
Phil Clements taught us that “in God’s world, business done right is a blessing.” We believe this and our hope is to bless companies, their families, and their customers through our work.