Charles (Chuck) Harwood

CEO of Signetics, a Corning subsidiary and one of the largest integrated-circuit manufacturers in the world, Harwood led the company as sales grew from $35 million to $720 million during his tenure there.

Born in Jamaica Plains, a suburb of Boston, he went to public school there in Cambridge and then in Concord, Massachusetts where he grew up. After Concord High School he attended Exeter Academy for two years. He then attended Harvard as an undergraduate in 1945 and graduated in 1950. Harwood attended Harvard Business School and went on to work for the Corning Glass Works.

He started as a shift Foreman in a big factory that made the glass for television picture tubes. He held a number of positions: General Foreman, Budget Analyst and then Plant Accountant. He was then made the Sales Manager of the Electronic Components Department which made glass capacitors and glass-based thin-film resistors. Harwood was then made the General Manager of the Laboratory Products Department, selling beakers, test tubes, flasks, etc.

He then worked for a short time in Latin America as Area Manager there for all Corning products, then returned as General Manager of the Electronic Components Division. He then received the assignment to go to Signetics in 1970. Signetics was the first electronics manufacturer specifically established to make integrated circuits. Founded in 1961 by a group of engineers—David Allison, David James, Lionel Kattner, and Mark Weissenstern—who left Fairchild Semiconductor, they went on to develop a number of early microprocessors and support chips, as well as the widely used 555 timer chip.

In 1975 Philips Electronics acquired Signetics, and Harwood remained as President and CEO for another 10 years. He then co-founded the Quality Improvement Company, serving as both co-General Manager and consultant to clients until his retirement in 1994. From that time he has devoted his time to writing and pro bono consulting to several non-profit organizations.

In addition to "It's Your Job: Take Charge of It", he is the author of "Kick Down the Door of Complacency: Seize the Power of Continuous Improvement" and two instruction manuals.