Just out of college, Laurette Healey worked her way up the ladder of the entertainment industry to become one of the youngest female CEOs of a small, public company in America. Laurette was voted by unanimous shareholder proxy to take the helm of a home video distribution company where she had been serving as Vice President of business and creative affairs. 

As an MBA student, Laurette created her first business venture, Pacific Media Ventures, a children’s marketing and Distribution Company. Laurette also secured financing to develop her first product: a video series to accompany a line of Mattel toys.

Laurette wrote a business plan to parlay her small firm into a joint venture with Home Shopping Network: In 1990, Laurette wrote a business plan to raise one million dollars to manufacture, market and distribute licensed products on a worldwide basis. She secured a meeting with the founder of Home Shopping Network and walked out of that first meeting a joint venture partner with HSN – then rated as one of America’s100 fastest growing public companies.

Laurette became HSN's highest-ranking female executive: Under Laurette's leadership, the joint venture set up more than 120 new major retail accounts in the United States and sold through more than 300,000 units of their first product within six months.  By the end of its second fiscal year, the venture yielded a 67% net return on the initial capital investment. Laurette served as President and COO of Home Shopping Network Joint Venture, Inc. for five years - a period during which HSN grossed over $2 billion dollars in revenues each year.

Laurette earned on the job while running a fast-growing partnership of one of the fastest-growing companies in America: As COO, 52 sales agencies in 50 states directly reported to Laurette.  She structured all pricing policies, warehousing, shipping, retail point of purchase promotions, and returns procedures. Laurette also managed accounting, legal, and operational staff.  She reviewed monthly general ledgers, prepared P&L statements, quarterly projections, and approved AR/AP procedures.  In 1995, LibertyMedia Group, Inc. acquired HSN.

After HSN was acquired, Ventura Media Group recruited Laurette: VMG was a newly-organized public holding company, which had recently acquired three entertainment companies. Laurette was brought on to increase revenues from the licensing rights housed in each company.  Her licensing division became the most profitable division company-wide during her tenure.

Laurette formed another successful business: Laurette extended her exclusive agreement with her company and formed a sole proprietorship to represent celebrities in the licensing and endorsement arena. In a remarkably short time, Laurette built a roster of A-List clients and achieved sustained business growth.  Billings grew an average of 10% per year through the company's life, with clients grossing an average of $75 Million in retail sales each year through 2011.

Financially secure and inspired by a desire to bring entrepreneurial values to state government, Laurette wound down her day-to-day activities in her business to join Steve Wesley – starting with his first campaign for Controller and through his last campaign for Governor. During this time, Laurette was appointed Deputy State Controller in the administration of State Controller Steve Westly, and continued her service into the new administration of current State Controller, John Chiang.

Laurette has the tenacity and entrepreneurial drive to succeed and she achieved it on her own, through hard work and perseverance.

Laurette Healey – a woman with a track record of tenacity and a passion for public service!