# Russell M. Kern

> Russell M. Kern is the founder and former CEO of KERN, the marketing agency acquired by Omnicom in 2008. He led the business until 2023 and now leads Kern and Partners, advising and training leaders on team collaboration, cross-functional friction, and working with AI. He is the author of Transform or Die and S.U.R.E.-Fire Direct Response Marketing.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Kern and Partners
- **Organizations:** Kern and Partners, KERN, Omnicom Group
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of California, Los Angeles, Appreciative Inquiry Leadership certification, Case Western Reserve University, Leading for Creativity course credential, IDEO U, Super Class in Learning and Development course credential, Josh Bersin Academy
- **Known for:** Built an agency that grew from two founders to 400 staff, as described in his interviews and book., Sold The Kern Organization to Omnicom in 2008 and continued leading the agency until 2023., Created the K.E.R.N. Human+AI Collaboration Framework: Know, Empower, Reflect, Nurture.

## Career timeline

- **College years** — Ran a three-pushcart Jelly Belly business between his sophomore and junior years.
- **1979** — Completed his economics degree at UCLA; early advertising work included Needham Harper & Steers.
- **Early 1980s** — Started an advertising agency with Carl Parsons; its later incarnations included Kern and Mathia and Kern Direct.
- **2006** — Discussed his agency’s credit-card-funded beginnings and emphasis on measurable marketing in the Los Angeles Business Journal.
- **2008** — Omnicom’s DAS division acquired The Kern Organization and aligned it with Rapp Collins Worldwide; Kern remained president.
- **2023** — Handed over agency leadership and launched his next chapter in consulting, coaching, and training through Kern and Partners.
- **2025** — Published Transform or Die and discussed his leadership approach on Human Side Up.
- **2026** — Listed as an IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit speaker on BMW Plant Spartanburg’s weLEAD program.

## Achievements

- Built an agency that grew from two founders to 400 staff, as described in his interviews and book.
- Sold The Kern Organization to Omnicom in 2008 and continued leading the agency until 2023.
- Created the K.E.R.N. Human+AI Collaboration Framework: Know, Empower, Reflect, Nurture.
- Authored Transform or Die: How to Build Teams that Outthink, Outpace, and Outprofit the Competition in the AI Age.
- Authored S.U.R.E.-Fire Direct Response Marketing, published by McGraw-Hill.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Published AI in Human Capital: The Future of Workforce Management on the Kern and Partners blog.
- **2026-07** — Published Breaking Silo Mentality in Manufacturing: Effective Silo Busting Solutions.
- **2026-04** — Published Mission Control Level Leadership on LinkedIn.
- **2025-11** — Appeared on Human Side Up to discuss leadership, management, and AI collaboration.

## Links

- Website: https://www.russellmkern.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellkern/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kernandpartners
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/russell.m.kern

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/russell-m-kern
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23