# Shelley Thompson

> Shelley Thompson is chief executive officer and a board member at Woodruff, an employee-owned marketing agency headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. She was its COO in 2017, when the business became 100 percent employee-owned. In September 2026, she publicly welcomed a planned leadership transition in which Jenny Jones will succeed Scott Kington as president and chief strategy officer following his scheduled January 2027 retirement.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Woodruff
- **Organizations:** Woodruff
- **Education:** University of Central Missouri
- **Known for:** Reached the chief executive role at Woodruff after being publicly identified as its COO in 2017., Serves on Woodruff’s board of directors.

## Career timeline

- **2017** — Identified as Woodruff’s chief operating officer in a September feature about the agency’s 25th anniversary and conversion to 100 percent employee ownership.
- **2026** — Confirmed as Woodruff’s CEO and board member in the September leadership succession announcement; preparing with incoming president Jenny Jones.
- **2027 (scheduled)** — Scott Kington’s retirement is scheduled for January; Jenny Jones is named to succeed him as president and chief strategy officer and join Thompson on the board.

## Achievements

- Reached the chief executive role at Woodruff after being publicly identified as its COO in 2017.
- Serves on Woodruff’s board of directors.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Woodruff announced that Jenny Jones will succeed Scott Kington as president and chief strategy officer after his scheduled January 2027 retirement and join CEO Shelley Thompson on the board.

## Links

- Website: https://wearewoodruff.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-thompson-6243388/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/shelley-thompson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-06