Home - Clay Mathile

1941-2023

Clay Mathile

Visionary leader, impassioned philanthropist, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend: Clay Mathile inspired those around him to see and bring forth the best in themselves. His legacy lives on through his family, his philanthropy, and the lives he touched.

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Mathile

A Champion for Good

Over the course of his life and career, Clay improved the lives of countless people around the world. He found joy when using his energy and resources to change lives through his support of organizations and individuals with big dreams. He is remembered for his love of family, his belief in others, and his conviction for doing what was right.

“I had four dreams in my life. The first was to own my own business, the second was that the business would stand for something. The third was to use my time and money to help entrepreneurs and pay back my mentors, and the fourth was to use technology to feed people better than we feed pets.”

– Clay Mathile

The Mathile Family

The Iams Company

Aileron

Philanthropy & Dayton Community

Highlights

A family united forever

Clay and MaryAnn were family-first; they prioritized their marriage and family and experienced both as foundational to any success outside of the home. This focus on family continued as Clay and MaryAnn’s family grew to include not just their children, but their children’s spouses and grandchildren.

Early days at Iams

As CEO of Iams, Clay empowered a thriving team who was committed to improving the lives of dogs and cats. He aligned them to a mission and vision, armed them with the resources they needed, provided development opportunities through Iams University, and then — trusting and believing in them fully — got out of their way so they could do great work.

Dreaming up Aileron

Clay learned best practices from thought leaders like Léon Danco, pictured above, to lead his family toward a dynamic where both their family and their business could thrive. The evolution of Aileron started with his dream to use his resources to help entrepreneurs, and paying back the mentors for all the help and guidance they gave him throughout the years.

Creating a culture of giving back

Clay and MaryAnn’s focus on giving became part of the Iams culture under Clay’s leadership and was formalized in 1987 when the Mathiles founded The Mathile Family Foundation. Clay instilled in Iams a culture of giving back. In the wake of hurricane Andrew, Clay, on behalf of Iams, donated an emergency shipment of food to the Humane Society to provide nourishment to the estimated 175,000 displaced cats and dogs in south Florida.

Contribute to Clay’s Legacy

Friends and family are encouraged to share memories, stories, or condolences. Those seeking other ways to contribute can support Clay’s philanthropic legacies, Aileron or The Mathile Institute, at the link below.

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