Paul Harrison Email & Phone Number

I provide General Management, Business Strategy and Financial expertise with a focus on business optimization and team building. With extensive leadership experience as a CEO, Founder and CFO I am able to lend my expertise to organizations looking to maximize assets and improve financial results. My proven track record of turning around under-performing assets is based on quickly identifying business drivers, recognizing opportunities and motivating a team to execute against such. I have more than 25 years of diverse experience as a Founder, CEO, CFO and Sales Leader. I was employee number one and raised $7 million from Northbridge Venture Partners to start FreeTaxPrep.com and additionally have demonstrated success in larger organizations such as Fiserv. I find the large and small company experience allows me to approach engagements in a disciplined but entrepreneurial manner. Specialties: FinTech, Team Building, Turnarounds, Early Stage, Acquisitions, Dispositions, New Channels and Organizational Structure.

Stockbridge, Massachusetts, United States

Engaged as a consultant to assist the CEO with a strategic focus on maximizing the financial operations of the organization. Joined full-time as CFO, transforming the financial aspects of the retreat center with the result of increasing available funds to support the mission. Part of a team that significantly transformed the employee culture over an 18 month period. Currently assisting as a consultant with a focus on pandemic related activities.

Hartford, Connecticut Area

Recruited to manage the walk-in bill-payment service several months prior to CheckFree’s acquisition by Fiserv in 2007. Challenged to be a change agent, stabilize the business and spearhead new business development strategies, including acquisitions, joint ventures, and large contract opportunities.Built a new management team, transitioned the walk-in bill-payment service from a “cash cow” to a growth culture, and developed/implemented strategies for expanding distribution and increasing revenue/NOP in a declining market. Significantly decreased costs with no impact on quality and services by identifying cost drivers and implementing programs to cut costs. Led the negotiation and execution of agreements with the largest retailer, telecommunications provider, and retail bank in the country and identified and completed the acquisition and integration of a bill-payment and presentment provider for the SMB market.

After founding a venture capital enterprise, recruited by British Telecom’s UK division president to provide sales and business leadership to an emerging strategic initiative focused on building a new US-based professional services group.Created and presented business cases that secured funding for launching new US-based products and services, guided the practice heads and marketing team who developed and evolved the services portfolio and new products, and collaborated with America’s CEO and CSO to develop product and sales strategies, identify new revenue opportunities, and deepen penetration into existing corporate clients.Delivered 200% YOY revenue and pipeline growth. Attained top-ranking for management competency and style in a blind employee survey.

As founder of this $7 million venture capital investment, led the building of a highly scalable, IRS-approved online service for preparing and electronically filing individual income tax returns. Recruited two executive-level partners who helped build the company to a 60-person organization within six months.Earned a reputation as an acknowledged expert in tax preparation e-commerce for the underserved population, and frequently appeared as an industry expert on electronic filing and related distribution strategies.

Trumbull, Ct

After Bank of America acquired MECA, was promoted to lead online banking and payment strategies for a consortium of seven of North America’s largest financial service providers. Delivered a $19 million increase in revenue in 2 years, from $5 million to $24 million.Attracted and hired new C-level talent for the senior management team, grew the employee base from 80 to 400, and guided the business from a retail-shrink-wrap license fee model to a recurring-revenue transaction fee model. Grew market share of Managing Your Money from less than 1% of retail personal finance management (PFM) software to more than 25% with Intuit's Quicken and MS Money as its major competitors.Recognized by the Justice Department as an expert in online financial commerce related to Microsoft anti-trust litigation.

Fairfield, Ct

After helping to position MECA for IPO and sale to H&R Block in 1993, Ied the transition of TaxCut, MECA’s personal tax preparation software, to H&R Block’s product management and technology teams. After developing a viable strategy for Managing Your Money with an 18-month deadline, spearheaded initiatives that resulted in its sale to Bank of America and NationsBank for $35 million, the same amount H&R Block paid to acquire all of MECA software.Led the restructuring of the management team and employee base to enable transition into online banking, electronic payments, call center functions, and fulfillment services.