Scentsy CEOs are leaving for London. Here’s what they’re doing
The owners of Scentsy are leaving the Meridian company, but only temporarily. Heidi and Orville Thompson are taking a break to serve a three-year mission with their church.
The Thompsons, who bought the wickless candle and scented wax company from two Utah women in 2004, will spend three years in London with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The couple will begin their service with a short training in June and travel to England that same month, the company said in a press release. They will remain in London through June 2024.
Scentsy President Dan Orchard will lead the company as interim CEO during the Thompsons’ absence.
“In the past couple of years, we have intentionally worked with the executive team to bring Scentsy to a point where the day-to-day operations do not require our direct involvement,” co-CEO Heidi Thompson said in the release. “And we are confident in being able to step away for a few years and perform this honorable service.”
The Thompsons took over the company with five employees and installed a direct-selling model that quickly expanded Scentsy into a consumer-products giant. Before they bought the company, the Thompsons had been $700,000 in debt and were looking to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection.
The company now has nearly 271,000 consultants in 12 countries, including nearly 197,000 in the United States. Of Scentsy’s 1,823 employees worldwide, 1,347 are in Idaho.
In 2013, Scentsy moved to a gleaming new 168,000-square-foot headquarters at Eagle Road and Pine Avenue.
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 10:50 AM.
