Tom's of Maine
Tom Chappell and his wife Kate left the corporate world for Kennebunk, Maine, in 1968 to "move back to the land," where they have raised their five children. Since cofounding Tom's of Maine with Kate in 1970, he has dedicated himself to creating a company that produces innovative, natural personal care products in a caring and creative work environment.
Tom hopes to set an example of ethical business standards for others. He was a recipient of the 1990 New Englander Award sponsored by the Small Business Association of New England; was named 1991 Entrepreneur of the Year by CNBC; and was given the 1995 Socially Responsible New England Entrepreneur of the Year award by the Entrepreneur of the Year Institute.
Tom's of Maine has been named among the top companies in the U.S. for working mothers by Working Mother magazine and as one of 30 Great Companies for Dads in Child magazine. In 1992 Tom's of Maine received the prestigious Corporate Conscience Award for Charitable Contributions from the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) and is listed on the Honor Roll in the CEP's Shopping for A Better World.
In 1993 the Chappells were presented with the New England Environmental Leadership Award and the Governor's Award for Business Excellence. In 1997 Chappell was a recipient of the Caring Institute's Award for "One of the Most Caring People in America."
Tom's first book, The Soul of a Business: Managing for Profit and the Common Good, set a practical yet powerful new agenda for ethical and profitable business leadership in the 1990s. His most recent book, Managing Upside Down: Seven Intentions for Values-Centered Leadership (William Morrow & Co.), was released in September of 1999 to much acclaim. It is an insightful, step-by-step guide outlining his management philosophy of leading with one's values by integrating the organizational, financial, and social components of a business.
Along with the book's release, Tom founded The Saltwater Institute, a nonprofit organization offering innovative leadership development programs such as THE SEVEN INTENTIONS® of Values-Centered Leadership Program. These programs provide new performance tools to help executives and their organizations create profitable values-centered enterprises
A 1966 graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, with a B.A. in English, Tom earned a Masters in Theology at Harvard Divinity School in 1991. He is active in the Episcopal Church of Maine, was a deputy to the 1991 and 1994 Triennial General Conference of the Episcopal Church, and was a member of the Environmental Stewardship Team of the national Episcopal Church.
He is active in many cultural and philanthropic organizations, among them the Dean's Council for Harvard Divinity School, the Advisory Council for the Center for the Study of Values in Public Life at Harvard Divinity School, and the President's Advisory Council for The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church.
Tom and Kate Chappell recently announced the formation of a partnership between Tom's of Maine and Colgate-Palmolive Company. You can learn more about this partnership at the Tom's of Maine website.