Robert B Trussell Jr.

President and Founder

Robert B. Trussell, Jr., is one of the founding members of Catholic365.com, the new search engine portal created by lay Catholics, which donates 100 percent of its advertising revenue to charities such as CatholicsComeHome.org (CCH).  CCH is an independent, non-profit organization that creates and broadcasts national media messages in order to help bring inactive Catholics back home to their faith.  In addition to being the President and founder of Catholic365.com, Trussell also serves as Chairman of CCH’s board.

Originally born in Milwaukee, Trussell first became enamored with horses as a boy, after his father taught him to ride.  Trussell, who is 6 feet, 5 inches tall, came to the sad realization at age 9 that he was too tall to be a jockey.  Instead, he built a life behind the scenes, relocating to Lexington, KY in the late ‘70s, and spending the next decade breeding, buying, and managing racehorses, which he continues to do today.

In the business community, Trussell is better known as the former CEO of Tempur-Pedic International Inc. (TPX).  He was instrumental in bringing the Swedish foam mattress and pillow brand to the U.S. in 1992 and built it from a novelty into one of the most successful mattress companies in the world.  Trussell retired in 2006 to serve his Catholic faith full-time by using the media for evangelization.

Trussell attributes his deep Catholic faith to the struggles in his early career when he went from being a successful horse-breeder to suddenly losing his financial base with a young family in tow.  It was during this tumultuous time when his prayers ultimately led to the Tempur-Pedic opportunity.  He never forgot how his faith led him to unimagined success and he sees Catholic365.com as a great way to give back.

Says Trussell, "Catholic365.com is a free and powerful way to reach out to the entire Catholic community by supporting wonderful Catholic TV messages.  When you search or shop on Catholic365.com you can trust that not 20% or 50% but 100% of profits are directed to this cause. There are no salaries or dividends being paid to me or any members of my family. We are simply trying to answer Pope John Paul II's and Pope Benedict XVI's call for a New Evangelization through the productive use of technology in today's world".  

Now retired, Trussell has chosen to use his business expertise to further his two long-time passions – his Catholic faith and horse-breeding.  He is also Chairman of 1380 Real Life Catholic Radio in Lexington, Ky.

Trussell graduated from Marquette University in 1974 with a B.S. in Business Administration. Currently, he and his family reside in Lexington, KY.