Cynthia Harriss is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 retail

Retail

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

 and tourism industry executive, most notable for her senior roles with Gap Inc. and The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

.

Early life

Harriss was born Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 and received a bachelor's degree from St. Louis University in Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

. In 2000 she received the Tree of Life Award for outstanding community service

Community service

Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....

 from the Jewish National Fund

Jewish National Fund

The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...

.

Gap brand

Most recently, Harriss served as president of Gap Inc.'s namesake chain of apparel stores. In this capacity, she oversaw all aspects of the Gap brand's operations, including its adult line as well as the brand's GapKids, babyGap and gapbody businesses. Harriss was appointed president of Gap brand in May 2005 and resigned from the post in February 2007. Marka Hansen, former president of Gap Inc.'s Banana Republic brand, succeeded Harriss as president of Gap brand.

Gap Inc. Outlet division

Prior to serving as president of Gap brand, Harriss served as president of Gap Inc.'s Outlet division, a position she held from February 2004 until May 2005. In this role, Harriss had oversight of Gap Inc.'s three outlet chains: Banana Republic Factory Stores, Gap Outlet and Old Navy

Old Navy

Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...

 Outlet.

Disneyland Resort/Disney Consumer Products

Before joining Gap Inc., Harriss served as president of Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...

, where she managed all aspects of the Disneyland

Disneyland Park (Anaheim)

Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...

 and Disney's California Adventure

Disney's California Adventure

Disney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...

 theme parks, as well as the resort's hotels and retail operations. Previously, Harriss held a variety of senior positions with The Walt Disney Company, including senior vice president of park operations at Disneyland, and senior vice president of stores for the Disney Store

Disney Store

Disney Store is an international chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive. Disney Store is a business unit of Disney Consumer Products. James Fielding serves as the President....

 chain.

Association with Paul Pressler

Harriss is known for her close professional relationship with Paul Pressler

Paul Pressler

Paul Pressler is an advisor of the New York- and London-based private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Formerly president and CEO of Gap, Inc...

, with whom she worked at both Disney and Gap. The former CEO of Gap Inc., Pressler also held a variety of senior executive positions at Disney, including chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...

, president of the Disneyland Resort and president of Disney Store chain. Harriss' February 2007 resignation from Gap came shortly after Pressler announced he would step down as the company's CEO, in January 2007.

Before Disney

Before joining Disney in 1992, Harriss spent 19 years with the Paul Harris Stores women's clothing chain, in a variety of marketing and operations roles.