KornFerry: Celebrating Forty Years

When I started at Korn/Ferry 21 years ago, my children were 11 and 12. Now they are 32 and 33 and both married, and I am a grandmother now too. These have been wonderful years, both personally and professionally.

When I started as Research Director in the New York office in the Atrium Building at 237 Park Ave. (and Lexington) in 1988, Charlie Murphy, the founder of Korn/Ferry’s New York office, though semi-retired, often came into the office and he would always stop by to see me. We had some things in common, both being Irish Catholics and probably the only Democrats in the office, at least according to Charlie. The pictures of Williamsburg, Virginia hanging in my office now here at 200 Park (Met Life Building) were the ones hanging in Charlie’s office then. When Charlie finally did retire he gave them to me because I had admired them at one point having just returned from taking my 11- and 12-year-old children to Williamsburg on vacation. I commented on them and he remembered and I remember fine, dear Charlie everyday. I do miss the old days; that is, I miss my old friends, the people who have retired or moved on to other ventures; David Smith, Al Duarte, Bob Torok, Bob Nesbit, Virgil Baldi; God bless him, and many, many more……

And, today, I feel extremely fortunate to continue working everyday with like committed people doing professionally what I love best, RESEARCH to support the varied search teams I work with, continuing to learn and share interesting experiences with dedicated colleagues at all levels of the Firm. While most of us here today will not make the next 40 years at Korn/Ferry, I know the Firm will continue to grow and prosper because of the spirit of its people; those in the past, in the present, and assuredly in the future.