UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thomas G. Vellios, the co-founder and chairman of the board of Five Below, Inc., will share his viewpoints on business and leadership with the Penn State Smeal College of Business on Friday. His visit is part of Smeal’s Executive Insights series.
Vellios will take part in a moderated discussion with Charles H. Whiteman, John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. in the Struthers Auditorium, Room 110 of the Business Building. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is required.
Executive Insights also will be streamed on Facebook Live on Smeal’s Facebook Page.
Vellios began his career in a variety of department stores. He then transitioned to several positions at Caldor, a regional discount chain and a division of the May Company, including general merchandise manager and senior vice president.
After Caldor, Vellios moved to Zany Brainy, Inc., where he served as president, chief executive officer and a director.
In 2002, he co-founded Five Below and assumed the roles of CEO and president before ascending to executive chairman in 2015.
Executive Insights is designed to complement the Smeal educational experience by bringing high-profile business leaders to the college to connect with students, faculty, staff and administrators. Past guests include leaders from organizations such as Amazon, Archer Daniels Midland, Barclays, Bard Capital, LLC, BASF, Boeing, Credit Suisse, Dell, Deloitte, Dick’s Sporting Goods, EY, GE, Johnson & Johnson, Kohl’s, KPMG, Macy’s, National Retail Federation, Nestlé, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, PwC, Samsung, Siemens, Verizon, Trade Station, Tumi Holdings, and Urban Outfitters.