Fortune Society Welcomes New Board Member Jeffrey Sharlach

The Fortune Society, a leading non-profit organization that supports successful reentry from incarceration, has welcomed Jeffrey Sharlach to its Board of Directors. He first became involved with The Fortune Society in 2022 as a volunteer in the organizations Employment Services Division, coaching participants to prepare for job interviews and future employment.

Jeffrey is a successful entrepreneur, business school professor and published author, recently retired from JeffreyGroup, the international corporate communications consulting firm he founded in 1993. Under his leadership for three decades, JeffreyGroup grew to more than 350 employees in multiple countries serving top multinational companies and global brands with a full range of communications counsel. He stepped down as CEO in 2015 and continued as Managing Partner until the firm was acquired by WPP in 2022. JeffreyGroup continues operations today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of WPP; Jeffrey retired as Chairman in 2024.

Since 2007 he has been an Adjunct Professor of Management Communication at the New York University Stern School of Business teaching both undergraduate and MBA students in numerous courses including Organizational Communication, Leadership and Teamwork, and Strategic Communication.

“Working with Fortune participants as a volunteer has been a great learning experience for me,” Jeffrey Sharlach said. “And I only hope that the men and women I’ve coached for post-incarceration employment have learned as much from me as I have from them. They’re the ones who have inspired me to do more for The Fortune Society and it’s an honor for me to join the Board.”

Stanley Richards, President and CEO of The Fortune Society, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Since Jeffrey started volunteering at The Fortune Society in 2023, he has developed a deep passion for social equity and inclusion, as well as a strong desire for change that aligns with our mission to empower individuals affected by the criminal legal system. We are thrilled to welcome his insights and perspective to our board.”

Board Chair Dennis Kozlowski added, “Jeffrey’s commitment to The Fortune Society’s mission and his passion for equality make him an outstanding member of our board. His leadership and unique perspective are vital as we continue to create a more inclusive future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

ABOUT THE FORTUNE SOCIETY: Founded in 1967, The Fortune Society has advocated on criminal justice issues for over five decades and is nationally recognized for developing model programs that help people with criminal justice histories to be assets to their communities. Fortune offers a holistic and integrated “one-stop-shopping” model of service provision. Among the services offered are discharge planning, licensed outpatient substance use and mental health treatment, alternatives to incarceration, HIV/AIDS services, career development and job retention, education, creative arts, family services, drop-in services, and supportive housing as well as lifetime access to aftercare. Fortune has a dual mission of services and advocacy. We use what we learn from our justice impacted staff and leadership and from the people we serve about the obstacles that people with criminal histories face to inform and fuel our advocacy work. For more information, visit www.fortunesociety.org.