Dr. Sherry Hartnett

• Author, Professor, University of West Florida; and Founder, College of Business Executive Mentor Program

Biography

Dr. Sherry Hartnett is a highly respected marketing and leadership professor, consultant, mentor, and author. She entered the world of academia after a successful business career as a senior-level marketing executive. At the University of West Florida, she founded the pioneering, high-impact experiential learning Executive Mentor Program and an acclaimed annual Women in Leadership Conference to educate the next generation of business leaders who will shape the destiny of our world.

Sherry Hartnett is coauthor of High Impact Mentoring: A Practical Guide to Creating Value in Other People's Lives. The book includes keen insights on how to be a great mentor and shares a step-by-step framework that instructs organization leaders on installing and scaling up a successfully structured mentoring program in a small, medium or large organization. 

Sherry founded Hartnett Marketing Solutions and Hartnett Learning Academy, a consultancy specializing in marketing, mentoring, and leadership development.  Before launching her consulting company, she was vice president, chief marketing & development officer at a regional healthcare system recognized as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner and one of Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work. Earlier in her career, Sherry was a marketing executive for one of the Top 10 largest news media companies globally; and led marketing and research for a national advertising agency. 

Sherry has a unique perspective on leadership that shines through in her writing on the importance of mentorship. Sherry has received numerous national awards and honors for excellence in marketing, leadership, and mentoring and prestigious faculty excellence in teaching awards. She is delighted to see her students and clients prosper and flourish. Sherry is always looking to inspire and encourage others and has served as a mentor to many.

An active leader in business, civic, and charitable communities, Sherry has served on numerous national and local boards of directors over the years, including the American Marketing Association and the Pace Center for Girls Escambia-Santa Rosa, as board chair for Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida, and as president of the Rotary Club of Pensacola. She is also a proud member of the Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class 38.

A lifelong learner, Sherry received a bachelor’s in marketing from Towson University, a master’s from Johns Hopkins University in management, and a doctorate in business from Georgia State University, and is always on the lookout for fascinating and relevant things to learn.

Sherry is well known for her energetic and interactive teaching style and for providing advice and guidance that is down-to-earth and relevant, and that takes into account the real-world complexities of business. She has a passion for making a difference in the careers and lives of the next generation, locally and worldwide.

Sherry and her husband are the proud parents of two grown sons and reside in Pensacola, Florida.