Kenneth Kring

Senior Client Partner, Higher Education Practice

In over three decades of executive search consulting, Mr. Kring has recruited more than 400 senior-level executives and board directors for leading institutions in the education, not-for-profit and private sectors, with a specific emphasis on supporting organizations with an education mission.

As a market leader of Korn Ferry's Higher Education Practice, he has been personally responsible for significant leadership transitions at public and private universities, with a strong concentration in recruiting top academic and administrative leadership. He and his Korn Ferry colleagues bring extensive experience supporting cabinet-level and dean appointments at two thirds of all very high researche intensive universitites. Central to this work has been a commitment to inclusive processes that support client decisions that are able to incorporate diversity of perspective and background into asessement and selection. Easier said than done!

Mr. Kring has co-authored thought leadership articles entitled Building on the past: A new approach to higher education finance (2010) The business school dean redefined: New leadership requirements from the front lines of change in academia (2011) and How schools of public health can attract, retain and diversify their dean candidates (2018). He is also the moderator and co-creator of the current Deans Counsel podcast series.

Previously, at another global executive search firm, he founded the Philadelphia office in 1997 and grew it into one of the firm's strongest. He also served as regional managing partner and managing partner of the firm's New York office.

Mr. Kring has served on several not-for-profit boards and for more than a decade on the executive committee of the University City Science Center. He considers his principal experience in governance as an invaluable source of insight at advising boards and committees in handling complex succession issues.

Mr. Kring holds a master's degree in public and private management (MPPM) from the Yale School of Management. He was awarded three gold medals at the IX and X World Maccabiah Games and was two-time finalist in the NCAA decathlon, while at Stanford University where he graduated with a BA in psychology.