Upon graduating from Harvard and the Harvard Business School,
Charles Harwood went to work for Corning, Inc., where he held a variety of jobs, including general manager of three product divisions
and corporate vice president. In 1970, he was appointed CEO of Signetics, a Corning subsidiary and then the sixth largest integrated
circuit manufacturer in the United States. During his tenure, Signetics' sales grew from $35 million to $270 million.
In 1975, N.V. Philips acquired Signetics, and Mr. Harwood remained as president and CEO until 1985. He then co-founded the Quality
Improvement Company, working full-time as co-general manager and consulting to clients until his retirement in 1994.
Mr. Harwood is the author of three books: Kick Down the Door of Complacency: Seize the Power of Continuous Improvement,
Participant's Problem-Solving Manual for Kick Down the Door of Complacency, and Trainer's Problem-Solving Manual for Kick Down the
Door of Complacency.
