From time to time we interview a client or former client about his or her career transition and their experience with Kelleher Associates. 

KAI: You have over 25 years of senior financial and executive management experience. Where did you begin your career?

Keith: I started my career as a CPA with KPMG in their Philadelphia office, where I was for the first 10 years of my career. For eight years, I was the Chief Operating Officer and CFO of Integrated Circuit Systems (Valley Forge, PA). I was then the President and CFO of a broadband communications company, AM Communications (Quakertown, PA) for six years. For the past two-and-a-half years, I was the CFO of a venture capital-funded start up company that provides next generation fiber optical components and sub-systems to the telecommunications market.

KAI: Why did you decide it was time for a change?

Keith: I had been involved with start-ups for a number of years, and recently began to feel overqualified for the work that needed to be done. I wasn't stimulated by the work, and I didn't feel like I was adding much value at my former company. I was looking for new challenges. I had heard Mitch Wienick speak at a seminar and had the chance to meet him. He had made a number of interesting points about marketing yourself, and working with someone in an advisory role. I thought about how many times people like me do this in our careers, and I decided to work with Kelleher Associates in finding my next challenge.

KAI: It seems that you made a very smooth transition from one position to another with no downtime in between. What were some of the things that you did with Kelleher Associates that helped you in this transition?

Keith: We started with a personality assessment, really a snapshot of where I'm at now, what type of work environment I would succeed in. We also went over my career history, what created a positive environment, what was a negative environment. Then, from that perspective, I decided it made sense to find a growth-oriented organization, and an environment that was stimulating. I decided whether or not I wanted to be a consultant, and then what types of companies I wanted to get involved with. I had been involved in mid-sized manufacturing and telecommunications companies. It didn't make sense to go after a large company, like a Unisys, or a financial services company. I used Mitch and the team at Kelleher Associates as my sounding board, and confirmed my opinions on a number of issues.

KAI: It seems like this was a clear case of transition rather than outplacement. How did you find your new position at Neoware Systems?

Keith: I encountered them through my network of contacts. I had heard they were doing an informal search for a CFO, and it turned out I knew Neoware's outside legal counsel and two of their board members. I had interviewed with them before, in 1995, and the person I interviewed with is now the CEO (Michael Kantrowitz). The company is one of the top two companies in the emerging Appliance Computing market. Thin-client devices replace PC's on a desktop, and connect into a network. It's a lower cost to deploy, and a lower cost to support in an ongoing role. 

KAI: Is it a change for you, going from a start-up to a publicly traded company?

Keith: Actually, it was one of the things that made this position so attractive. This is my second experience working at a public company. In my new role, I will be responsible for corporate development, investor relations, financial reporting and financial operations.

KAI: Would you recommend Kelleher Associates to other people in career transition situations?

Keith: Yes, I would recommend them. I believe that the team at Kelleher Associates is very professional and well connected, as well as a very cost effective alternative to the larger, more impersonal outplacement career providers.