Mr. Burns currently is the independent Member of Thorpe Corporation Board of Directors and founding partner of Acuity Partners, LLC. Previously, he was President of Kimberly Clark Global Safety post their acquisition of Jackson Safety, where he was appointed President & CEO in 2007. Mr. Burns has over 12 years experience in Presidential roles that feature success in leading the turning around of global companies based on innovative organic strategies coupled with M&A, companywide productivity programs, operational strategies rooted in "make vs. buy" analytics, organization structure, and creating leverage based on the unique qualities of the business. His career path is grounded in Sales and Marketing, leading to becoming President of the Bernzomatic division of Newell Rubbermaid, the market leader in hand held torches in 1998. In addition, he also was president of Rubbermaid Closet and Organization (manufacturer and importer of storage products for DIY/Commercial Contractors) plus Bulldog Hardware (importer of fastener products for Mass, Food and Drug channels).

He has an outstanding record of success in leading both industrial and consumer goods companies. Including successfully turning around Katy Industries Continental Commercial division, manufacturer of commercial cleaning products, via leveraging their strongest brand to realize competitive advantage coupled with restructuring the sales and marketing departments. In addition, he restructured the organization into a "central" services model, reducing overhead while improving market response time.

As President & CEO of Jackson Safety Mr. Burns in fewer than two years, developed/executed a new strategy that drove market share gains, improved profitability and ultimately a successful sale to Kimberly Clark. Mr. Burns is a graduate of California State University, Chico where he received a B.A in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration and Economics.