Obituary: Former Harris CEO Al Angrisani

Al (Albert) Angrisani, turnaround specialist and former President and CEO of Harris Interactive, died as a result of complications from COVID-19 at the Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro on Thursday, April 23rd, at the age of 70.

Angrisani was born in Newark, spent most of his life in Princeton, and in recent years split his time between Princeton and New York City. During his career he spent many years leading companies in the MR sector: he was President and CEO of Total Research Corporation from 1998 until the company's merger with Harris Interactive in 2001, when he became the latter's President and COO, staying until 2004. He served as President and CEO of Greenfield Online from 2005 until it was acquired by Microsoft three years later; and in June 2011 he returned to the troubled Harris as Interim CEO, becoming full-time Chief Exec the following year. He then oversaw Harris' sale to Nielsen in 2013.

Angrisani began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, and then moved to President Ronald Reagan's Administration, where as Assistant US Secretary of Labor he was a senior policy advisor to the President, and the author of the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982, which was one of the nation's first public/private partnerships. From there, Angrisani held various exec roles in Arthur D. Little's strategy consulting business division, before setting up his own company, latterly known as Angrisani Turnarounds; and in 2014 he established private investment company TurnVest Partners, which focused on investing in 'distressed' public and private companies.

He also authored two books: Win One for the Shareholders, for businesses struggling to survive in the competitive corporate world; and From Last to First, which drew on his personal experiences, beginning with his disadvantaged start in life. His family members said his humble beginnings drove him to help others, and as a philanthropist he donated time and money to a variety of causes, often focusing on the twin problems of hunger and homelessness. He donated all of the profits from his first book to a New York City-based organization serving the homeless.

Angrisani is survived by his three daughters and their husbands, and seven grandchildren, two brothers and two sisters. A private graveside service will be held, with a memorial service to be held at a later date; and memorial contributions may be sent to The Ronald Reagan Foundation (www.reaganfoundation.org ) or to a charity of choice.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.