Tom Aiello is America's foremost expert in marketing and communications to the military and veteran community, and the founder and president of MARCH Marketing, the first advertising agency ever dedicated to serving it. A West Point graduate who walked on to Army football, Tom served as a combat engineer captain in the 1st Cavalry Division with deployments to Panama, Korea, and the Middle East, where he survived a near-fatal Humvee rollover that ultimately left him with a fused spine and a lifelong drive to serve those who serve. His civilian career spans Leo Burnett (as VP on the U.S. Army account behind "Army of One"), Military.com, where his cause-marketing programs raised over $50 million and helped rebuild more than 1,000 veterans' homes, work that earned him an appointment to a presidential committee on veteran employment.
In 2011, Tom founded MARCH Marketing with a single mission: improve the lives of military and veteran families. Built coast to coast by veterans and military spouses, MARCH combines landmark proprietary research with the learnings of hundreds of campaigns to deliver authentic communications that break through, for clients including the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, the VA, AARP, SiriusXM, Sleep Number, Craftsman, and Syracuse University's IVMF. Across his career, Tom has helped employers hire more than 50,000 veterans and raised $118 million for community programs benefiting over 110,000 military and veteran families. A disabled Army veteran, he serves on the board of United Spinal Association, the largest spinal cord injury nonprofits in America.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
- How changing the way organizations see veterans transforms the opportunities those veterans then receive.
- That authentic, culturally fluent messaging grounded in lived experience consistently outperforms generic marketing approaches.
- Why veterans are a force to mobilize, not a problem to manage or rescue.
- How personal adversity can become the raw material that builds resilience and a category-defining company.
- That the biggest business opportunities hide in plain sight within the communities you already know best.
- Why a mission-driven business can serve both the community and the bottom line without conflict.
- How one research insight can turn a failing product into an 85 percent adoption success story.
- That bootstrapping with conviction can survive losing all but one client and still emerge as category leader.
- How combining two distinct worlds – military service and corporate advertising – creates an unassailable expertise.
about the show
Operation CEO is an entrepreneur TV series dedicated to veterans who have served their country and are now building businesses, leading teams, and creating impact in their next chapter.
The series highlights former military service members who have transitioned into entrepreneurship, using the same discipline, leadership, grit, and mission-driven mindset that shaped their time in service.
Each episode takes viewers inside the real journey behind the business. Guests share what they learned in the military, how those lessons shaped their leadership style, and what it took to move from service into business ownership.
From early-stage companies to established brands, Operation CEO showcases veteran entrepreneurs who continue to lead with purpose, resilience, and a commitment to something bigger than themselves.
In a crowded business world, many veteran founders have powerful stories that deserve more recognition. Operation CEO gives these leaders a platform to share their mission, build authority, and inspire others through the next chapter of their journey.
