Founders' Bios

Ronald S. Torch Founder, President and CEO

Ronald S. Torch, a classically trained brand manager and marketing strategist, serves as the firm's President and CEO. Founding the firm in 1990 in Stamford, CT, Ron has led the growth and diversification of the Torch Group from a one-person local marketing consulting firm to a highly-specialized and nationally recognized marketing staffing company. Today, Torch Group delivers customized marketing talent solutions to major corporations, advertising agencies, non-profit organizations and small-to-mid-sized businesses all over North America.

Prior to founding the Torch Group, Ron held progressively more responsible executive marketing positions in Fortune 100 consumer packaged goods, foodservice and business-to-business corporations and marketing agencies in the Metro New York area. Throughout his career, Mr. Torch has created award-winning marketing and advertising campaigns that include Seagram's Wine Cooler promotions, Pepsi-Cola local market programs, A.1. Steak Sauce and Grey Poupon Mustard advertising campaigns, AT&T's market launch in Connecticut and Duracell Batteries' movie tie-in with Walt Disney Studios.

In order to better serve his clients, Ron began transforming Torch Group in 1999 from a marketing consulting practice that provided executive search services, to a custom staffing company that offers options in marketing, sales and communications talent that are highly-targeted to his clients' needs including Full and Part Time, Interim, Temp-To-Perm, Consultants and Freelancers.

During this period, Torch Group recorded record sales growth and received a Weatherhead 100 Award for three years in a row. Torch's customized talent solutions have had a significant impact on a number of well-know companies and brands. Read about these successes in the Case Histories.

Torch holds an M.B.A. in marketing from Indiana University's Kelly School of Business, graduating with Honors and being named "Outstanding M.B.A." He was past chairman of PMA's (Promotion Marketing Association) New York Chapter, has spoken at its national conference and has been quoted in various industry and trade magazines. Ron serves as a trusted advisor to many companies and has been nominated to the Board of Directors for DanceCleveland.

Michele Torch
EVP, Founder and Chief Talent Officer

Michele Torch is the firm's Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer. In this role, Michele is responsible for assuring that each client receives the right-talent for their specific needs. To accomplish this, Michele directs the firm's talent acquisition processes and resources and manages our staff of recruiters, researchers and staffing coordinators. She also personally conducts most of the firm's in-depth behavioral interviews. Her management responsibility includes hiring, training, HR policy making, and staff development.

During her tenure with the Torch Group, Michele has interviewed and placed hundreds of consultants, contractors, freelancers and full and part-time professionals in a vast range of marketing, sales and communications roles from c-level executives to project managers.

In her last position before joining the Torch Group, Michele was a senior human resources manager at KeyCorp. Prior to that, she spent 13 years progressing in executive human resources positions in Fortune 100 companies, including Duracell, Inc., James River Corporation, Guinness Import Company and Saks Fifth Avenue. Michele's corporate experience includes employee relations, recruiting, compensation, training and organizational development.

During her corporate career, Michele's accomplishments include starting the human resources department for the Guinness Import Company, staffing a new technology division at Duracell Corporation and developing HR strategies and programs for the corporate staff at KeyCorp.

Michele holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany and an M.S.W from Adelphi University in New York.