Kathleen Duffy

Kathleen Duffy is president and CEO of Duffy Group, Inc., one of the most respected recruiting firms in the country. Kathleen’s passion for helping individuals find their path is matched by her deep knowledge of the recruitment industry. Her commitment to serving candidates and clients alike motivated Kathleen to develop Duffy Recruitment Research™, which enables Duffy Group to harness marketplace intelligence, work as a discrete (and transparent) partner, and deliver quality candidates at about half of the cost of traditional recruitment fees. Building on Duffy Recruitment Research™, Kathleen pioneered the Informed Search model of executive search, a third model that combines strategic insight, stakeholder alignment, and shared accountability to help organizations make stronger leadership decisions while reducing hiring risk. This innovative approach to recruitment inspired her to write the book, Revolutionizing Recruitment: How Recruitment Research is Reshaping the Industry.

In addition to leading her now-global company and building an engaged team of recruitment leaders, Kathleen gives back generously to the community. She lends her expertise to business and HR-related groups on smart hiring and retention practices; serves as a mentor for social entrepreneurs; and advocates for women through her role on 50/50 Women on Boards, a global initiative to increase the number of women in company leadership positions and on corporate boards to 50% by 2050. She also works tirelessly for myriad philanthropic causes. Kathleen is also the recipient of numerous local and national awards, including the prestigious ATHENA Award bestowed on women who exemplify leadership, community service, and mentoring of other women.

As a proud graduate of Arizona State University, she is deeply committed to education, too, representing the President’s Club, a philanthropic group of the school, along with the College of Liberal Arts and Science’s Futures Center Advisory Board. She is a member of the board of trustees and also served as chair of the ASU Alumni Association national board of directors and council.