Family Business Strategist and Business Leader Joins HWSC

Pittsburgh, PA, January 31, 2017 --(PR.com)-- Headwaters SC (HWSC), a professional services firm that specializes in supporting multi-generational business owning families, is pleased to announce that James B. Wood has recently joined the firm as a Senior Managing Director. Mr. Wood is a transformational business leader with deep experience leading middle-market and family businesses. As a Senior Managing Director, he is one of the HWSC’s practice leaders in the areas of business governance related to the growth and development of multi-generational family enterprise businesses, and active management and oversight of direct investments in operating businesses, particularly those in the food products and agribusiness arena.

On joining HWSC, Mr. Wood shares, “I am very excited to join Headwaters. My professional experience and interests are very much aligned with the firm’s work, which I have admired for years. I have a passion for helping family companies optimize growth and performance, and am proud to be representing HWSC in contributing to this vital segment of our country’s economy.”

Prior to joining HWSC, Mr. Wood was Sr. Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Clemens Family Corporation (CFC), a $900mm, 4th-generation pork processing business. While at CFC, Mr. Wood developed the strategic vision and led the Corporation’s growth and diversification, acquisitions, sales and marketing, and real estate development.

Upon arriving at CFC in 2000, he led a complex turnaround strategy and corporate restructuring of family ownership that resulted in significant profit and performance improvements. This challenging transition of the 3rd generation from “Family Business” to “Business Family” allowed the Clemens family to successfully retain ownership and preserve their wealth into future generations. The shift was considered so progressive among Family Business practitioners that it was subsequently written up as a case study by the Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In the subsequent 15 years, revenue tripled from $300mm to $900mm, and average annual shareholder returns jumped from 4% to 17%.

Prior to joining CFC, Mr. Wood worked for many years with privately held, entrepreneurial growth companies while with Ernst & Young and Inc. magazine where he provided consulting services on strategies for planning and managing growth.

Mr. Wood has served on the Board of Directors of several private and public companies, and is currently on the Board of Costa Farms, a $400 million horticulture business based in Miami, FL. He holds an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, a Master’s of Science from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at Potsdam.

Headwaters SC, LP (HWSC) is a professional services firm, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that specializes in supporting multi-generational business owning families. Supported by proprietary research, tools, and methodologies, HWSC's Family Enterprise Business Services focus on four core competencies critical to the growth and development, and longer-term ownership of a private business. Direct Investment Services provide resources and guidance for clients seeking capital, direct investments, or support for existing direct investments. www.hwsc.com