# Gary Burnison

> Gary D. Burnison is president and CEO of Korn Ferry, which he joined as CFO in 2002 and has led since July 2007. His career spans KPMG, Jefferies and Guidance Solutions. Alongside running an organizational consulting business, he writes leadership and career books and the Special Edition essays, with recurring themes of learning, gratitude and human connection.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at Korn Ferry
- **Organizations:** Korn Ferry, KPMG Peat Marwick, Jefferies & Company, Guidance Solutions
- **From:** Inglewood, United States
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in business administration, University of Southern California, Honorary Doctor of Laws, Pepperdine University
- **Known for:** Led Korn Ferry’s expansion into broader organizational consulting., Author of 11 leadership and career development books, according to his current official biography., His books include a New York Times bestseller.

## Career timeline

- **1984** — Begins accounting career at Peat Marwick Mitchell, now KPMG.
- **1995-1999** — Executive officer and director at Jefferies & Company.
- **1999-2001** — Principal and CFO of Guidance Solutions.
- **2002-03** — Joins Korn Ferry as executive vice president and CFO.
- **2003-10** — Adds the COO role at Korn Ferry.
- **2007-07** — Becomes president and CEO of Korn Ferry.
- **2011** — Publishes No Fear of Failure.
- **2015-12** — Korn Ferry completes its acquisition of Hay Group.
- **2024-06** — Korn Ferry announces Love, Hope & Leadership.
- **2026** — Continues publishing leadership and career advice, including essays on AI and the job search.

## Achievements

- Led Korn Ferry’s expansion into broader organizational consulting.
- Author of 11 leadership and career development books, according to his current official biography.
- His books include a New York Times bestseller.
- Holds an honorary Doctor of Laws from Pepperdine University.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Published It’s Always People Who Power Performance on October 12, discussing AI adoption, behavior change and relationships.
- **2026-10** — Published There’s Nothing Artificial About It on October 5, opening with a personal-story exercise among firm leaders and board members.
- **2026-07** — Published A Résumé Redux on July 20 about individuality and impact in AI-assisted applications.
- **2026-06** — Korn Ferry announced an agreement to acquire AMS on June 29; the announcement described completion as a future event.

## Links

- Website: https://www.kornferry.com/about-us/consultants/garyburnison
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-burnison-9144957a
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/gary_burnison

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/gary-burnison
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24