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FAR FROM PLAIN

Camille Jayne is something of a Jill of all trades.

She’s worked in the food business, consumer products, banking and technology. These days, she runs two of her own consulting companies, the Jayne Group Business Management Consulting and Matters at Hand, both in Irvine.

Jayne was one of five women honored at the Business Journal’s 12th annual Women in Business awards luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on May 25.

She brings a philosophical approach to business.

“I call it the CEO principle with a twist,” Jayne said.

Her premise: talk to your customers. Understand your competition. Consult your employees. Know your owners and their expectations.

“I don’t set a company vision first,” Jayne said. “I talk to employees and then set the vision.”


Ran Universal Electronics

Jayne is best known for running Cypress-based remote control maker Universal Electronics Inc. from 1997 to 2001. During that time, yearly sales grew by half to $200 million.

The company makes remotes designed to control a variety of consumer electronics,and replace that small cadre of clickers on the coffee table. Jayne prefers to call Universal a “wireless technology” company.

She was just one of a handful of women nationwide to lead a public company.

“Her ability to interact with shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers enabled her to transform (Universal) into the industry leader,” said Amy Norflus, senior equity analyst of New York-based Pilot Advisors, a Universal investor and one of Jayne’s 10 nominators for the Women in Business awards.

Before joining Universal, Jayne worked her way through Corporate America.

She was part of a team that came up with the first refrigerated bread at Pillsbury Co., now part of General Mills Inc. She worked on some of the first hair mousse at Procter & Gamble Co. For Comerica Bank, she helped roll out supermarket branches.

As a senior vice president of digital TV at cable operator Tele-Communications Inc., Jayne was picked to give then-Gen. Colin Powell a briefing about digital media.

Those who know Jayne call her focused and energetic, a natural connector, a turnaround specialist. They also call her caring and compassionate.

Matters at Hand, where Jayne is chairman, offers financial and personal planning. The company’s consultants,called personal business facilitators,help clients with financial and estate planning as well as real estate, insurance and medical issues.

“About 60% of our clients seek help in pre-planning personal business matters,” Jayne said.

They range in age from 30 to 65 and seek help with personal business affairs they don’t have time to tackle, she said.

Most clients come to the company for pre-planning advice. She and her associates help fill out forms, suggest questions to ask of their financial or legal advisers and lead them toward having their affairs in order. If a client doesn’t have a financial planner or attorney, the company will provide references.

“It’s a service a lot of people don’t appreciate,” said Judy Rosener, professor emeritus at the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage Graduate School of Business and a client. “It makes working with a financial adviser easier.”


No Salary

Jayne said she takes no salary and gives all of her net profits to charity, choosing a different one each year. Last year, it was Human Options. This year, she donated to the Orange County chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Women’s Empowerment Portfolio of the Women’s Philanthropy Fund. She also gives 5% of each fee to a nonprofit of the client’s choice.

Jayne also provides consulting services through Jayne Group, where she is president. The company provides interior design, project management, space planning and other services for homes and businesses.

She said she sometimes misses the corporate world, which she left because she “needed a rest.”

But Jayne said she doesn’t plan to give up Matters at Hand, even if she were to return to a company.

“Being involved in more than one business is not unlikely,” she said.

“I love a big business challenge and if the right opportunity came along in Southern California, I’d be open to it,” she said.

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