Recent News

February 8, 2017

Family Business Strategist and Business Leader, James B. Wood, Joins HWSC as Senior Managing Director

We are pleased to announce that James B. Wood has recently joined Headwaters SC (HWSC) 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 HWSC. 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. Mr. Wood developed the strategic vision and led the Corporation's growth and diversification, strategy, 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%.

View Mr. Wood’s full biography.

 

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