McKinsey for top-tier executive talent and organizational strategy.

The Goldman Sachs of executive talent acquisition and human capital advisory.

Accenture specializing in human capital, leadership development, and organizational design.

• Executive Search: Locating and assessing highly qualified candidates for senior-level executive positions.
• Professional Search: Recruiting mid to senior-level professionals and managers across various industries and functions.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Managing and executing all or part of a client's talent acquisition process, from sourcing to onboarding.
• Consulting: Providing advisory services on talent strategy, organizational design, leadership development, rewards, and total effective compensation.
• Digital: Offering AI-powered talent assessments, data insights, and technology solutions to help organizations select, develop, and retain talent.

Korn Ferry (KFY) primarily sells its organizational consulting, executive search, and talent management services to other companies and organizations, not primarily to individuals.

Due to the nature of its business and client confidentiality agreements, Korn Ferry does not publicly disclose the names of its specific major customer companies. Its revenue is derived from a highly diversified client base rather than being concentrated with a few large customers.

Korn Ferry serves thousands of organizations annually across a wide range of industries and geographies. Its clientele typically includes:

• Large multinational corporations (including a significant portion of Fortune 500 companies)
• Mid-sized enterprises
• Start-up and growth companies
• Government agencies and public sector entities
• Non-profit organizations

These clients operate in diverse sectors such as technology, financial services, healthcare & life sciences, consumer goods, industrial, professional services, private equity, and more. Korn Ferry's services are tailored to help these corporate clients acquire, develop, reward, and retain talent, and to design effective organizational structures.

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Gary Burnison, Chief Executive Officer
Gary Burnison has served as the CEO of Korn Ferry since 2007, having joined the firm in 2002 as Chief Financial Officer and later serving as Chief Operating Officer and CFO from 2003 to 2007. Prior to his tenure at Korn Ferry, Mr. Burnison held executive roles at Guidance Solutions, a technology services firm, where he was a principal and CFO from 1999 to 2001. He also served as a senior executive officer and director at Jefferies & Company, Inc., a global investment bank, from 1995 to 1999, and was a partner at KPMG Peat Marwick from 1984 to 1995.

Robert Rozek, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Officer
Robert Rozek is Korn Ferry's Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Chief Corporate Officer, a role he has held since joining the firm in 2012. He brings over 25 years of finance experience, including serving as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at Cushman & Wakefield, where he oversaw global financial and accounting operations. Mr. Rozek also held senior leadership positions as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Las Vegas Sands Corporation and held high-level positions at Eastman Kodak Company. Earlier in his career, he was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Michael Distefano, Chief Executive Officer, Professional Search & Interim
Michael Distefano serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Professional Search & Interim at Korn Ferry. His prior roles at Korn Ferry include Chief Marketing Officer and head of Korn Ferry's global marketing and thought leadership efforts. He has also been involved in driving the firm's solutions around organizational strategy and talent. Before joining Korn Ferry, Mr. Distefano held positions in marketing and brand management at several companies.

Linda Hyman, Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources
Linda Hyman is the Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources at Korn Ferry. She is responsible for the firm's global human resources strategy and initiatives. Her background includes extensive experience in human capital management and organizational development within large, global organizations.

Jeanne MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
Jeanne MacDonald serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) at Korn Ferry. In this role, she leads the firm's RPO business globally. Her experience includes over two decades in talent acquisition and human capital solutions, focusing on designing and delivering large-scale recruitment strategies for clients across various industries.

1. Reliance on Third-Party Technology Providers: Korn Ferry's strategic initiatives and client services are significantly dependent on third-party technology providers. Any failure by these vendors, whether due to system malfunctions, cybersecurity attacks, or natural disasters, could severely disrupt the company's internal operations and its ability to serve clients.
2. Dependence on Executive Search Segment: Despite efforts to diversify its service portfolio, Korn Ferry still generates a majority of its revenue from its Executive Search segment. This concentration exposes the company to market fluctuations and changes in client demand specific to the executive search industry, potentially impacting its long-term stability.
3. Economic Uncertainties and Competitive Landscape: Economic downturns can significantly reduce the demand for consulting services as organizations tighten their budgets, directly affecting Korn Ferry's revenue and growth prospects. Additionally, the consulting industry is highly competitive, with numerous firms, including new entrants leveraging technology, vying for market share. To maintain its competitive edge, Korn Ferry must continuously invest in its service offerings, technology, and talent.

The rapid advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) powered talent acquisition and management platforms presents a clear emerging threat to Korn Ferry's traditional business model. These platforms are increasingly capable of automating and optimizing candidate sourcing, screening, matching, and even internal talent mobility, thereby empowering corporate in-house HR and talent teams. This trend threatens to reduce the reliance on external human-led executive and professional search services, especially for roles below the C-suite, and could compress fees for such services. Furthermore, these technological advancements could also challenge parts of Korn Ferry's consulting segment focused on talent strategy and development by offering more data-driven and automated solutions directly to clients or through competing HR technology providers.

Korn Ferry (KFY) operates in several large addressable markets for its main products and services globally.

• Executive Search: The global executive search market is valued at USD 58.13 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 94.73 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.26%. Another estimate for the global Executive Search Headhunting market size is $22,219.5 million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6.547% from 2025 to 2033. North America holds 29.32% of this market, while Europe accounts for 25.93%. The market is also forecasted to grow 6% compounded annually from 2024 to 2032.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): The global RPO market was estimated at USD 7.33 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 24.32 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.1%. Other estimates place the global RPO market size at USD 8.82 billion in 2022, reaching USD 36.79 billion by 2031 with a CAGR of 17.2%. Another report projects the global RPO market to surge from USD 10.9 billion in 2024 to approximately USD 68.9 billion by 2034, reflecting a robust CAGR of 20.3%. North America led the global RPO market in 2024 with over a 10% share, generating USD 4.3 billion in revenue. The U.S. RPO market alone is valued at approximately USD 4.1 billion in 2024 and is predicted to increase to about USD 21.1 billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 17.8% from 2025 to 2034. The RPO market is also forecasted to grow 15% compounded annually from 2025 to 2033.
• Leadership Development: The global leadership development program market is expected to grow from USD 89.54 billion in 2025 to USD 238.5 billion by 2035, at a CAGR of 10.3%. The global leadership development exercises market was valued at US$ 74.38 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach US$ 149.62 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.5%. North America remains the largest market, while Asia-Pacific is emerging as the fastest-growing region for leadership development. The corporate leadership training market size is expected to increase by USD 31.40 billion, at a CAGR of 11.7% from 2024 to 2029.
• Talent Acquisition: The global talent acquisition recruitment market was valued at USD 312.78 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 342.1 billion in 2025 to USD 563.79 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 9.9%. North America currently dominates the market share, and Asia-Pacific is emerging as the fastest-growing region. The digital talent acquisition market is forecasted to grow 10% compounded annually from 2025 to 2030.
• Management Consulting: The management consulting market is forecasted to grow 5% compounded annually from 2025 to 2032.
• Career Transition Consulting: The Global Career Transition Consulting Market is projected to grow from $8.8 billion in 2025 to $14.7 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 5.9%.

Korn Ferry, as a comprehensive talent solutions provider, states it addresses a $450 billion market opportunity.

Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY) is expected to drive future revenue growth over the next 2-3 years through several key initiatives and market trends:

1. Growth in Executive Search and Professional Search & Interim: Both Executive Search and Professional Search & Interim segments have demonstrated strong year-over-year growth in recent quarters. Executive Search fee revenue increased 15% year-over-year in Q4 FY2025 and 8% in Q1 FY2026, marking its fifth consecutive quarter of growth. Professional Search & Interim fee revenue was up 10% year-over-year in Q1 FY2026, with particular strength in interim services. This momentum is partly attributed to a "peak 65" dynamic, suggesting a structural turnover in leadership roles due to C-suite retirements.
2. Expansion of Digital Services and the Talent Suite Platform: Korn Ferry is focusing on its Digital segment, with subscription and license new business growing 10% year-over-year in Q1 FY2026, contributing significantly to its digital new business. The company plans to commercially launch its new "Talent Suite" digital platform at the beginning of Q3 FY2026 (November 2025), which is expected to enhance client service capabilities, data integration, and significantly contribute to growth.
3. Increasing Consulting Bill Rates and Higher-Value Engagements: Although Consulting services experienced a decline in fee revenue in Q4 FY2025, it returned to growth in Q1 FY2026, driven entirely by a 9% increase in average bill rates. This indicates a strategic shift towards larger and more transformational, higher-value consulting projects, which, despite potentially longer engagement times, are expected to bolster revenue.
4. Geographic Expansion and Diversification Strategy: Korn Ferry's integrated business strategy, diversified across industries, geographies, and solutions, is proving effective. The company has seen strong fee revenue growth in the EMEA region (up 19% year-over-year in Q1 FY2026) and APAC region (up 12% year-over-year in Q1 FY2026), with growth across all solutions in these areas. This global reach and diversification are key to navigating variable market conditions and addressing a substantial market opportunity.
5. Growth in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Strategic Client Engagements: Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) demonstrated growth, with fee revenue increasing by 5% in Q4 FY2025 and 3% in Q1 FY2026, partly due to new logo clients in North America. The company also emphasizes its "Marquee and Diamond accounts," which contributed nearly 40% of its consolidated fee revenue and delivered over 7% fee revenue growth year-over-year. Additionally, cross-solution referrals remain strong, representing 25% of consolidated fee revenue, indicating successful integration of service offerings and deep client relationships.

Share Repurchases

• Korn Ferry repurchased $457 million of shares from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2025.
• During fiscal 2025 alone, the company repurchased $89 million of shares.
• The Board of Directors approved an increase of $250 million to the existing share repurchase program in September 2025, bringing the total available capacity to $331.4 million.

Share Issuance

• Korn Ferry's shares outstanding significantly reduced from 54.4 million in fiscal 2020 to 51.5 million in fiscal 2025, primarily due to share repurchases.

Outbound Investments

• Korn Ferry acquired Infinity Consulting Solutions, Inc. for approximately $100 million on August 1, 2022.
• The company acquired Lucas Group, an executive search and finance/accounting staffing provider, with the deal expected to be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings.

Capital Expenditures

• Korn Ferry invested $62.4 million in capital expenditures during fiscal 2025, excluding leasehold improvements and furniture & fixtures.
• The company's capital expenditures averaged an 8.03% three-year compound annual growth rate over the past five years.
• Capital allocation includes investments in innovation and client-tailored solutions to support long-term growth.