The year 2023 has been a significant one at Klein Hersh, as we marked our 25th anniversary in business. Such a major milestone calls for a healthy dose of reflection, a renewed appreciation for how we got here, and a focus on what we expect the next 25 years will look like. For me, this milestone is especially meaningful.
Humble Beginnings
For those who may not know the history of our firm, it was my parents, Robert and Fern Klein, who established Klein Hersh in 1998. It was their intent to build a business that would provide a modest living for themselves and the firm’s employees. My dad was a former teacher turned entrepreneur, and my mom was his partner throughout.
Starting over at the age of 50 cannot be easy. And as with all things not easy, it’s typically worth it, if you can persevere. My parents not only preserved; they absolutely thrived. And it became a family (and friends) affair. Soon after the firm opened its doors, one of my best friends, Jason Hersh, joined in the journey, as did his cousin, Josh Albert, as well as so many others who have become part of the Klein Hersh family along the way.
Fast Forward
Twenty-five years later, the small company my parents started has impacted thousands of lives―from our exceptional team members who have built their careers here, to the talented candidates we’ve placed in career-changing opportunities, to the companies we’ve helped to build.
Our success has been realized through a shared internal infrastructure that enables Klein Hersh to perform at a higher level, and a core set of common values that will forever remain the driving foundation within our organization.
Our Competitive Advantage
As I reflect on our origin as a scrappy contingent search firm built from the ground up, to one that has evolved into the leading retained biotech, pharma, and healthcare search firm in the world, I can’t help but to try to connect the dots. In Steve Jobs’ renowned Stanford Commencement speech, he shared that you cannot connect the dots looking forward―only looking backward―and that you just need to trust it will all work out. This advice has always resonated with me, and looking back at the journey of our firm, it couldn’t be more true.
We’re constantly asked about our secret sauce. What has enabled us to achieve the levels of success we’ve reached? The standard answer would be our people, which is true, but not complete. The full answer is the culture we’ve built―one that creates a collective desire to outperform expectations; a management philosophy where each individual is responsible to the whole of our organization; and the internal fortitude to know that we can outwork any of our competitors. And the icing on the cake? We all look out for each other.
Within our company, the average tenure is more than 10 years. Our employee retention has grown to become an unfair competitive advantage, as the compounding effect on skillset development enables us to produce results never before seen in the executive search landscape. We’ve turned a longstanding industry inside out, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team or more excited about what lies ahead.
The Next 25 Years and Beyond
As we consider the next 25 years, we remain wholly committed to all that has led to our success. We will continue to excel in every aspect of recruitment, business development, and any other synergistic way we can add value to the marketplace. And we know full well that with every year of experience each of our team members gains in our firm, the results are multiplied. This ever-expanding knowledge fuels our ability to perform better for our partners as they look to attract and hire world-class talent.
To the many partners, friends, and family members who have helped us reach this milestone and who continue on this journey with us, please accept our deepest gratitude for your partnership, your support, and your belief in our mission. All of us at Klein Hersh look forward to serving as a key part of this ecosystem for the next quarter century and beyond.
