Walking the Talk

Chris Harrison ’98 developed a love for computer science while a Barry student. As he was learning to develop algorithms and master computer languages, he immediately applied the new knowledge.

At the time that Chris Harrison '98 was a Barry student, airplanes had no onboard computers.

His stepfather, a commercial pilot, had to perform calculations in his head, so Harrison designed a program that would do those calculations for him. “I realized I could have an impact in the real world,” says Harrison. “At 18 years old I was already building solutions and listening to user feedback.”

Since graduation, Harrison has worked in banking, insurance, hospitality, and higher education. He started out designing computer applications, but reached a crossroads eight years into his career: Should he remain an individual practitioner or grow his managerial skills?

Harrison’s supervisor gave him valuable career advice: “Whatever you pursue, make sure you are connected to it. Follow your passion and success will come along the way.” His passion moved him toward management roles, where he has found a place for over 20 years. With his technology background, he has a unique perspective on this foundational aspect of modern business.

Harrison recalled this advice again nine years ago. He was firmly established in the corporate world, yet he couldn’t quite shake the desire to be an entrepreneur. So, Harrison put his career on hold to create a digital marketing company for Hispanics in higher education. After four and a half years, he sold the company. “I needed to try that,” he says. “It was an amazing experience.”

Now Harrison works for the largest educational technology company in the world as the vice president of strategy and operations for Latin America and the Caribbean. Anthology provides strategies and technical platforms for institutional operations, from recruitment to alumni relations. Their 150 million users are students, faculty, and staff at 9,000 institutions across 80 countries.

At Anthology, the trilingual Harrison can follow another of his passions: travel. The exposure to people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and philosophies he experienced at Barry gave him the sensitivity, experience, and understanding he has needed to work for multinational companies. Having classmates at Barry from multiple countries was formative, the most important element of his college experience.