Lester Korn

Lester Bernard Korn (January 11, 1936 – December 3, 2020) was an American businessman and diplomat. He was the co-founder, with Richard M. Ferry, of Korn/Ferry International, the executive search firm established in 1969 in Los Angeles. From 1987 to 1988, Korn served as the U.S. Ambassador and Representative on the United Nations Economic and Social Council under President Ronald Reagan.

Early life and education Korn was born on January 11, 1936, in New York City. While attending college, he worked part-time as a teller and bookkeeper at Bank of America in Culver City, California, from 1953 to 1961. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1959 and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1960. He subsequently undertook postgraduate study at Harvard Business School.

Career Business career Korn joined the accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (later KPMG) in Los Angeles in 1961 as a management consultant. Korn served as the firm's chairman and chief executive officer. During his service from 1987 to 1988, he also acted as Alternate Representative of the United States to the 42nd and 43rd sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

Personal life On March 30, 1961, Korn married Carolbeth Goldman, a fellow UCLA graduate and Los Angeles civic leader. The couple had two daughters.

Books The Success Profile: A Leading Headhunter Tells You How to Get to the Top