Judith S. Harrison is the Founder, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Way Point Partners, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in the retail, manufacturing and consumer goods and services industries, providing general management, investment due diligence and turnaround services to management, private equity funds and investment research firms.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience guiding top-tier companies and building preeminent global brands, including some of America’s most recognized, Ms. Harrison’s ability to build brand equity, combined with strengths in corporate and product strategy, product design, operations and marketing result in companies generating top-line growth while realizing successful and sustaining business initiatives, operational efficiencies and innovative product creation.
Ms. Harrison’s general management consulting includes corporate and product strategy, defining and developing organizational structure to achieve growth goals as well as extending brands, identifying consumer needs and developing and executing category/product and business unit plans to dramatically increase profitability. Her investment consulting includes human capital analysis, business valuation, and growth and investment opportunity assessment, due diligence and acquisition strategy to potential investors. Her turnaround consulting services include crisis management and financial advisory services to the constituencies of under-performing or financially challenged companies.
Prior to forming Way Point Partners, Inc. in 2000, Ms. Harrison was the President and Chief Executive Officer of several companies where she achieved exciting company and product turnarounds and rapidly grew sales and profits. Her rare blend of creative and operational strengths, coupled with her strategic approach to building businesses is demonstrated in her work as President and Chief Executive Officer of General Cigar Enterprises, a cigar manufacturer, where her concept creation and focus on product line mix quickly delivered exciting bottom-line results. Her turnaround expertise is highlighted by her accomplishments as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Monet Group, where she led the distressed fashion jewelry company to record profitability through brand revitalization that included major shifts in brand strategy, operations, product design, packaging, marketing communications and point-of-sale merchandising.
Ms. Harrison also had significant impact on profitability and growth at Liz Claiborne Handbags, Yves Saint Laurent Parfums, Inc., and Hecht’s, a division of May Department Stores, Inc., where she was responsible for the Cosmetics, Accessories, Jewelry and Shoe businesses. Her achievements have been featured in Forbes, Leaders, Women’s Wear Daily, Stern Business as well as other business media. She is a frequent speaker on corporate governance, high-touch customer service and building sustainable brands.
Ms. Harrison has participated in the Harvard University Executive Education Program, Compensation Committees: Preparing for the Challenges Ahead, the Stanford Law School Directors’ Consortium and the Corporate Governance Conferences of both the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and the Conference Board
She serves on the Board of Directors of The Hilsinger Company, Retaligent and The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Ms. Harrison previously served on the Boards of The True Value Company, The International Institute of Education, Mulberry UK, The Marshall Retail Group and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Business School. She was also a past member and co-membership chair of the Gotham Chapter of Young Presidents Organization. Ms. Harrison is a Trustee of the Village of Plandome, Long Island, where she resides with her husband and son. Ms. Harrison received her MBA and BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.