Bob Harrington
B.E. Villanova University ’72
M.B.A. Pepperdine University ’75
— Click to view Bob Harrington’s Resume
Bob founded this executive search consulting business in 1994 as part of the Sanford Rose Associates franchise system. During this 7-year affiliation, Bob was a perennial top performer with recognition as a Top Gun and honors for New Office of the Year, Five Star Office, Outstanding Individual Performance, Distinguished Achiever, Highest Fee Billed and Excellence awards.
Bob also served on the SRA Owners’ Association Board of Directors and was President, providing leadership to the overall system of 60 offices. Bob built this recruiting business with a market specialization in printing, packaging and related industries and has expanded the business to include any search where industry-specific experience is the primary criteria. Bob has an extensive cross-functional industrial background, which has prepared him well for a career in executive search. Further, Bob has been certified by the National Association of Personnel Services as a properly qualified and trained professional in the laws against discrimination in hiring.
Having attended Villanova University on an NROTC scholarship, Bob graduated with a BE in Electrical Engineering and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Bob served as a Communications Officer for the 1 st Battalion 3 rd Marines and an Electronics Officer for Marine Air Control Squadron – 2 while stationed in Kaneohe Bay, HI. It was during this time that Bob earned his MBA from Pepperdine University.
Bob started his business career with the Permacel Division of Johnson & Johnson, a $50MM manufacturer of pressure sensitive adhesive tape. Bob accelerated rapidly from Converting Shift Supervisor to Plant Engineer to Manager of Safety and Security.
Bob moved on to Revlon, a $2B manufacturer of cosmetics and fragrances, as Director of Safety and Environmental Affairs. Following the acquisition of Permacel by Avery International, Bob was recruited back to Permacel as Director, Engineering and Maintenance where he implemented their EPA air quality compliance plan and a variety of major capital process improvement projects.
Bob continued his career with Avery International and was promoted to Converting Plant Manager with the Soabar Systems Division, a $40MM printer and converter of tags and pressure sensitive labels. He then progressed to Director, Converting Operations with responsibility for four plants in the U.S. During this period, Bob lead a dramatic change in converting/printing technology and implemented self-directed work teams which dramatically improved productivity and increased capacity allowing the consolidation of all the plants into one.
Bob then made another cross-functional move and was promoted to Director, Marketing and Sales for the Soabar Systems Division with responsibility for product line management and a national salesforce of 120. Bob lead the integration of the multiple sales channels resulting from the merger of Avery International and Dennison Manufacturing into a cohesive and cost effective organization.
Bob was again promoted to VPGM of the Soabar Graphics Division, a $20MM supplier of commercial offset printing and service bureau price tickets in Greensboro, NC and a $13MM printer of ion deposition variable data (Presidax) tickets for the package delivery industry in Framingham, MA.
Bob’s responsibilities were increased to $100MM which added Dennison Canada, Dennison Mexico, Control Print (ink jet printer manufacturer), Dennison Far East and Worldwide Ticketing Services in Hong Kong with locations in eight satellite countries serving apparel sourcing globally. It was under Bob’s leadership that the strategy of expanding globally to meet the complete tag and label marking needs of apparel manufacturers and retailers was implemented, providing Avery Dennison with a leading market position today in retail information systems.
Bob Harrington Associates 