Korn Ferry Appoints Senior Leaders

July 21, 2023 – Korn Ferry has named Jeanne MacDonald as chief executive officer, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Mathias Herzog will assume leadership of the firm’s digital solution. “Jeanne and Mathias are proven executives, and we are thrilled to have people of their caliber lead these offerings,” said Gary D. Burnison, CEO of Korn Ferry. “Jeanne is the natural choice to lead RPO after years of overseeing global RPO solutions and playing a fundamental role in the business’s commercial and financial success. Mathias brings in-depth consulting and technology expertise that will help further the digitization of our offerings and intellectual property to drive superior client performance. With Jeanne and Mathias, we are confident that our RPO and digital solutions will continue to evolve and thrive.”
Ms. MacDonald joined Korn Ferry in 1998 and most recently served as president, global RPO Solutions, where she was responsible for oversight of Korn Ferry’s RPO businesses. She has worked in a variety of roles at Korn Ferry including senior recruiter, business development director for North America prior to moving into various leadership positions within the firm.
Ms. MacDonald said, “I am thrilled to take on this role at such an exciting time for Korn Ferry and our clients. The global business landscape is changing at an ever-faster pace, and the process of finding and hiring the right people to drive strategy and achieve goals has never been more important.”
Mr. Herzog joined Korn Ferry in 2023 and currently serves as president of the global technology, communications, media, and professional services practice. Prior to joining Korn Ferry, he served in several executive-level roles focused on corporate strategy, business operations, and GTM / sales. Mr. Herzog has held executive positions at Salesforce and Automation Anywhere and was a partner at multiple consulting firms.
“Korn Ferry is at the forefront of the latest wave of innovation,” said Mr. Herzog. “I could not be more excited to work with such a talented team to leverage our proprietary intellectual property, data and digital products for individual and organizational success.”
Related: Korn Ferry Announces Board Changes
Korn Ferry is a Los Angeles-headquartered executive recruiter and leadership consultant and the largest globally and in the Americas as ranked by Hunt Scanlon Media. The firm’s 8,600 colleagues serve clients in more than 50 countries.
Recent Acquisition
Korn Ferry recently completed its previously disclosed acquisition of Salo LLC, a provider of finance, accounting, and HR interim talent. “Salo will be a great fit, with highly relevant interim professional offerings and expertise that speak to today’s world of work – a new workscape in which more than one-third of the U.S. workforce alone considers themselves to be independent,” said Mr. Burnison. “The Salo acquisition reflects our continued focus on high-demand areas emerging in this environment, as we scale our solutions at the intersection of talent and strategy.”
Korn Ferry Posts Eight Percent Revenue Gain
Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY) has posted 2023 fiscal year-end revenues of $2.8 billion, up eight percent from a year ago. The Los Angeles-headquartered executive recruiter and leadership consultant – the largest globally and in the Americas as ranked by Hunt Scanlon Media – also reported fourth quarter revenue of $731 million, an increase of one percent. The revenue gains were primarily due to an increase in the interim portion of professional search and interim, resulting from the acquisitions of Patina, Infinity Consulting Solutions, and Salo. This was partially offset by decreases in executive search, the permanent placement portion of professional search and interim, and RPO mainly due to a decline in demand driven by global economic factors.
“Through the acquisition of Salo, Korn Ferry will further broaden its ability to deliver to organizations experienced professionals, who will take on impactful roles on an interim or project basis, particularly in the high-demand areas of finance, accounting, and HR,” Korn Ferry said. “Now, with Korn Ferry, we will be part of a global network of colleagues, with access to vast IP and more expansive client relationships and opportunities at every turn,” said Lisa Brezonik, CEO of Salo. “Our track record of success and deep interim professional solutions expertise, combined with Korn Ferry’s expansive credentials, will provide clients with greater opportunities to make an impact. We’re excited to be joining Korn Ferry and look forward to what the future holds.”
Related: Korn Ferry Launches AI-Enabled Talent Analytics Platform
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media