During his 23-year career at Levi Strauss, Peter Thigpen rose to occupy senior roles including President of Levi Strauss USA, President of the European Division, and Senior Vice President of Operations. He left the San Francisco-headquartered jeans manufacturer in 1990 after a period of significant company growth.

A former US Marine Corps Officer, Thigpen has a BA in Economics and an MBA from Stanford University. He teaches business ethics at the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley.

Thigpen also serves in various governance and advisory roles: he is a member of the Mills College Board of Trustees, the San Francisco School Volunteers Board, the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the Kentfield School Board of Trustees, and a Moderator for the Aspen Institute.