“Ken changed my life with the perfect job and placement at Cisco Systems… He understood what I was looking for. He understood my capabilities, he connected me with the right companies, got me the interviews, and at the end of the day placed me with my number one choice… ” (See the video.)

‍– Ronnie Hargrove
Director for Professional Services, Department of Defense Market, Cisco Systems

“I tell my connections, “If you’re open to opportunities, these are the people (recruiters) you need to call.” I had an amazing experience with Ken Leiner Associates. I would say individualized service, exceptional coaching, and honest feedback are three things that stood out. Ken was really, really engaging and very, very personalized, which made a huge difference… and was very deliberate and honest. He does a great job of helping you prepare to transition, and what to expect, with a lot of good career advice. And his associate Amy Shepardson was absolute dynamite as well.

Ken Leiner Associates was working with a company I really wanted to work for: Better Up. I’m in my mid-50’s. I’d been working for 20, 30 years, at a dozen jobs or so and had never used a professional recruiter before. So, I was going from a role where I was leading a team to being an individual contributor – and going from a company that was pretty well established to kind of a startup. The forethought around what it’s like to transition from one opportunity to another was really very, very valuable. Ken was strategic in the sense of how you look at this big picture and Amy was an exceptional coach through the second part of the process, which was my interface with Better Up — a great coach in helping me prepare, without being someone who just gave me all the answers. She was very much about, like, what you’re thinking about for the job, where you are in their process, what they’re looking for, how things go, where you did really well or where you could’ve done better. Amy was just fantastic.

It’s that personalized connection – you’re not a commodity; you’re not a piece on the chessboard. Ken was invested in me being successful after I got there. And he called me eight months into the job to check in and see how I was doing. It’s the best job I’ve ever had. Absolutely love it! Yeah – it’s great.”

– Stephen Ripley
BetterUp

“I’ve been working with Ken and Frank since the late 90’s when they placed me at Cisco, and then to help me fill sales rep positions. Compared to most recruiting firms I’ve worked with, the KLA team has a genuine passion for placing the right person in the right job at the right time. I want to give a shout out to newer recruiters Matt and Raul, who have proven to be remarkably strong assets to the team. The fact that they meet you in person, taking time to discover your needs before making recommendations, tells me a lot about their skill, character, and level of commitment. Ken Leiner Associates has proven time and time again that they’re not in business to just move paper (resumes), they are working to help candidates and employers realize their dreams.”

– Allan Russell
IBM Business Unit Executive

“I came to Ken Leiner Associates under a great deal of stress­ – from being part of a corporate layoff and having an offer rescinded by another firm. After being in th­e hunt for about four months, talking to multiple companies and interviewing on my own, a great opportunity led by KLA was solidified in less than 30 days. It was pivotal for me to find a role that would leverage the depth and diversity of my experiences and where I could make an appreciable impact to the business. Our discussions encouraged, empowered and motivated me to move beyond my challenges and pursue the BEST new professional opportunity.

I am so happy that Deb, Jodi and team KLA were in my corner! Their approach to conducting our initial interview set the stage for building a solid professional relationship and demonstrated just how important it is that a top-notch search firm conduct due diligence with its candidates and the companies they represent. As a result, I landed an amazing professional opportunity in a role that I believe captures and will leverage 95% of my background! I could not be happier with my decision, knowing that I navigated successfully and had a seamless experience under KLA’s and Deb’s tutelage. I wish KLA continued success and will keep KLA in mind when other A-players come across my radar.”

— S.L. Williams
HP Enterprise Services

“The value for our firm in selecting KLA was: a) reputation; b) ability to get results; and c) the fact that the principals have a robust network in the Federal space. It was a great match for us! KLA was able to be our business partner in achieving a key objective of filling a very critical team position–Director of Federal Solutions.

It wasn’t an easy search; our CEO was very particular. As a small, California-based software company we didn’t have the local knowledge or networking expertise for building a Federal team with a DC presence. Frank very effectively bridged that gap. Right away, he made a vast difference from our own search where hardly any of many, many applicants met the criteria. He was able to present a small number of highly qualified candidates through a very efficient process that didn’t waste any of our time. We were impressed with KLA’s responsiveness, focus, and the quality of their candidates, and we’re very happy. I highly recommend Frank. I really appreciate his work style, responsiveness, availability, and pragmatism. He never tried to sell a candidate to me. Not only is he very easy and enjoyable to work with; he really gets a lot of satisfaction from making the connections that build companies and careers.

— Mark Varah
Vice President of Operations, MotionDSP

“… Jodi and Ken did an integral pre-screening with me; assessing my needs, personality, requirements, skills, and ideal situation that would make me most comfortable–the complete package. Jodi then found me a job that fit my requirements as much as I fit the company’s. It was a perfect match at a place where I felt I’d be happy and productive. With excellent coaching from Jodi, the transaction went smoothly…”

– Susan Smoter
‍ ‍Business Development Executive with the Treasury Account at major technology vendor

“I have worked with KLA for over ten years as both a candidate and in a hiring capacity. They have consistently done a great job on both. If you are looking to hire be assured that the candidates they present will be well qualified and a solid match for your needs. We have hired over 80% of the candidates they have presented and they are all meeting our expectations.”

– John Trionfo
Director, Enterprise Sales

“I approached KLA after taking several years out of the workforce to raise my children. With that break and the current economic climate, I knew it would be a challenge.

Ken was very candid with me. He took my resume, extracted more measurable ways to show my contributions, and produced a far better version. He was not afraid to prepare and coach me for tough interview questions, advising me to really “know my product”–meaning my value and preparedness with details about each of my previous roles and contributions to them.

Once Ken and Stuart identified a potential fit, I worked directly with Stuart, who was easy to work with and kept our pace moving along. Inquisitive throughout, he made sure I was the right type of candidate for the role and that the position would be a smart move for me. He was energetic and persistent about making sure he supplied the company with their requested information throughout the process. He was equally persistent in tracking down answers for me as I worked through qualifying and interviewing. Between Stuart’s dedication and Ken’s candid guidance, I was well equipped and pretty confident heading into the interviews.

Since my job preference was not as prevalent in the technology space as many other roles, industry peers suggested my search would take six to ten months. Instead, KLA was able to get me lined up with a superb role, strong leadership, and a healthy, growing company in just ten weeks. It’s a great fit and I’m surrounded by a team of people who really understand customer advocacy. I’m happy to have had such a nice launching point with KLA. Overall, it was a really good experience.”

– Rita Galiano
Customer Success Manager, Southeast at Citrix

“Working with KLA was a personalized experience designed to connect me with the right organization while also realizing my market value. I had been referred by a trusted source and top performer in sales. At that time I had many skill sets that I didn’t understand how to best leverage. Ken helped me realize my potential by guiding me to the right industry. The end result was finding a new job where I could use more of my skills to create value and excel–plus a 50% increase in base pay.

Other recruiters I worked with didn’t have the experience to offer guidance on various opportunities and seemed like they’d be happy if I just took something. In contrast, Ken wasn’t just trying to place me anywhere. He took the time to evaluate my strengths, skill sets, industry experience, and personality profile to find the best fit, and was very candid about informing me of the pros and cons and upsides of each opportunity. That’s why I recommended friends to KLA; they can help you realize your potential and market value.”

— H. Tran
Pre-Sales Systems Engineer at a leading enterprise software and information solutions company

“What I love about our industry is that you can have fun, be competitive and make a wonderful living for yourself and your family. Working with Ken Leiner Associates was a lot of fun. As a hiring manager, I was presented with candidates that fit the correct background and profile. Our valuable time was never wasted. KLA took the time to understand the culture of our company. Coupled with a great screening ability, they have a strong sense of which candidates would “fit in well.”

KLA became a trusted advisor of our company. They helped us recruit a world class sales force which annihilated the competition. We sold the company for over $940 million, which translated into fantastic financial rewards for its employees. I have recommended Ken Leiner and Frank Munero to numerous sales and technical people as well as venture capital companies. My only disappointment is that in working with them since 1991, they have only bought me lunch once.”

– John Leary

“Any good recruiter helps manage the process for both the hiring manager and the candidate. That’s why I like Gary Boisen. He has a lot of high energy, is dedicated and is a very efficient networker, on occasion bringing me a multiple choice of candidates.

I’ve been working with Gary and KLA for a decade or more, building strong sales force teams both at Federal, and State and Local. It has been a good experience because of their quality of work. They are well networked, having amassed a wealth of resumes and personal contacts to tap into for candidates. Yet, it all comes down to the importance of personalization, and this is where they shine.They understand the position at hand and requirements on both sides, they prequalify and then match quality candidates. While at Informatica and Cognos Corporation I hired no less than 20 people from Gary–and a high percentage of them were quite valuable in helping the companies grow. I recommend Gary Boisen and KLA for the vast amount of resources and quality candidates they present to the marketplace. They have a great reputation because they’ve earned it, and I’m very happy with their work.”

— Dan Greening
VP of Public Sector Business Intelligence Sales at a major software vendor

“I have good reason to recommend KLA. Back in 2004, I was in a job transition and wasn’t sure what my next move would be. I spoke with several local and national recruiting firms but almost all seemed more like body shops that simply wanted a copy of my resume to send out and see if anything “stuck”. KLA was different; Ken asked me to come in to discuss my experience and goals, and mentored me in crafting an effective resume. KLA was also honest about the kinds of jobs I might qualify for and worked with me on a career roadmap that would allow me to move up into the kinds of high paying sales jobs I wanted in the future. KLA has since placed me in my last two positions. Following the career outline that had been laid out for me has exceeded my expectations because it has produced the results promised.”

— Richard Dunn
‍ ‍Federal Account Manager, IBM

“I’d like to thank you and your staff for the attention offered to me during my career search… attentive to my needs and very professional in your dealings with me. I would especially like to recognize Stuart for being my sponsor, coach and mentor within your organization. Stuart was extremely helpful, professional, attentive and a great sounding board for the various opportunities that were presented to me. We spoke often and at all times of the day and week and Stuart always maintained his great attitude. It was a real pleasure working closely with Stuart… With the people you have within your organization, there’s no question as to why KLA is the leader in the industry.”

— Scott Schaefer

“I have worked with KLA for over 15 years and had great success with the candidates that they have found for me. The primary differentiator at KLA is the time that they take to know their candidates. They make an effort not only to match a candidate’s previous experience to the technical requirements of a job, but also to match that candidate’s goals and selling style to the corporate culture of my company. The end result is a sales rep or manager who consistently exceeds their sales goals and stays with the company to build his or her business within my team.”

— Dave Connor
Federal Manager, MSM Division, BMC Software

“I have worked together with Ken and Ken Leiner Associates for about 15 years both as a hiring manager and individual looking for a new role. KLA always delivered quality candidates at previous companies I worked at, so why not do it again? When I joined CyberRes, a Division of Micro Focus, it was to rebuild the US Federal Civilian business and regain lost market share. A key part of our strategy was to up-level our talent and expand roles to ensure we could meet market demands. While we have a strong footprint within the federal government, our recruiting team did not have much Federal expertise and looked to engage a company with the expertise in this space that could jump start our talent search. Beth Kandianis was assigned to our account and has honestly become an extension of my team to ensure that we bring on the right candidates that not only fit where we are today, but where we’re going tomorrow.

Beth has done an exceptional job for each role we were looking to hire. She listened to what we needed, looked for the right fit both from experience and culture and made me feel like her only client. The screening of the candidates prior to me getting them has been fantastic; the communication and follow-up ensured we moved quickly and captured the best talent possible. Beth has helped staff about 80% of my team at this point. We’ve had a lot of different needs and each territory has needed just a little something different. She’s been very good at understanding what we need for each of these roles. That has even grown to the point where we’ve been able to get her engaged with some of my peers outside of Federal. She’s helped with state and local, she’s helped with some product specialists and now, she’s helping in Canada. She’s doing an amazing job.”

– Sara Hobson
VP, Federal Sales at CyberRes, a Micro Focus line of business

“Ken Leiner Associates has proven to be a true strategic partner as I’ve grown my sales and engineering team. I needed a partner who could help me build an effective sales team in record time to scale our business. Frank Munero provided quality candidates that met my needs and didn’t “spam” me with unfit candidates. This is important when you’re in hyper-growth mode and time is of the essence. Frank has a great nose for talent and is a master of the art of finding the right fit for the right job.”

– Nick Cayou
Greenplum Software

“I’ve been working with Frank and Ken since 199­3 as both a candidate and a hiring manager. On the hiring end, the investment I make with KLA means the time and money is very well spent… they’re usually SPOT ON. Nine times out of ten, the first or second resume I get is the person I want to hire, saving me an incredible amount of time and creating a profitable outcome.

I’ve come in contact with roughly 35 – 40 other recruiters in my career. Working with KLA is one of the best and easiest to work with… Their approach has included coaching me through decision criteria and making alternative recommendations that usually pan out better than my original thinking. They want me to make the right hire as much as I do… And speaking as a candidate, Frank and Ken have placed me at… Object Design and Deltek, and by far they’ve been the best fits and among the most successful positions I‘ve had in my career.”

— The late Brian Murphy
VP, End Point Division, Beyond Trust, in 2012

“If there’s one person I could look back on, singly, who made the biggest difference in my career it was Ken Leiner. None had more effect on my career and my income than Ken Leiner did.

It started in the 1990s. I wanted to leave a job and found him on the web. I was a manager at the time running a little business development group for a small company. Ken asked me to come to his office, to interview me, to learn about me, learn about my skills, and then find the right job for me. He also invited another KLA recruiter, Stuart Neuwelt. And he found me a great job opportunity. He introduced me to a company called EMC. I had a great career there and really increased my net worth quite a bit.

Ken develops great relationships and taught me how to grow great relationships… He’s easy to deal with. He’s a fun guy to talk to… So, when I wanted a new opportunity, Ken and Stuart me coached me, building on the tremendous successes I had at EMC, and then found me the next job Computer Associates (now CA Technologies) as a Federal Alliances Director. In fact, whenever I needed an opportunity, Ken or his team were always the first I would call to further my career.

I really felt like I had a personal and trusted relationship with Ken, Stuart and Gary, and others at KLA. I TRUSTED them to find great jobs that actually matched my skillset, as opposed to throwing me in front of prospective employers like a lot of other recruiters do where there’s really no relevance in my background that would show it would be a great career move. What I always liked about Ken, is that he doesn’t assume that all your skills are perfect. But, he knows how to help hone those skills, what to say and not to say in an interview and how to help brush up your resume so that it’s absolutely your best foot forward to get the attention of HR people or employers. All lifelong career tips.

Working with Ken Leiner Associates is key for working with professionals that have your best interest in mind, and finding jobs that are suitable to your background to enhance and grow your career.

I retired in 2022. After our very long business relationship, I picked up the phone to thank him for all he’s done for me. I owe my career and retirement to Ken and his team and will never forget them.”

– Charlie Rizzo
Retired, Federal Systems Integrator Sales Director

“As I settle into my new job I can’t help but think how grateful I am to you. Working with Deb and the KLA team was a great experience for me. Deb’s ability to get me in front of the right company matching my ideal job and skill set was amazing. She streamlined the interview communication and experience in a highly professional manner ultimately resulting in the best possible job and compensation for me. While I don’t expect to use your services anytime soon. There is only one recruiter I plan to use if I ever need to look for a new job!”

– Jamie Romano
Federal Sales Representative, NEW WORLD APPS, a Layered Tech Company

“I’ve been working with Ken, Frank and KLA for 20 years. They’re highly professional, give me a straight scoop and an honest assessment, and present candidates of great value. Finding good people takes time, it doesn’t happen overnight.

What KLA does is to truly understand the goals, requirements, the value of the candidates, and the company culture, and those perspectives make a difference. They value the person looking, and the person hiring, and support them more than any other recruiter I’ve ever seen, resulting in quality candidates that fit the job and become long lasting employees.

Other recruiters try to fit a square peg into a round hole, sending you the same list of names whether they’re selling airplanes or toilet paper.

The candidates KLA have placed with me have met or surpassed my expectations. They have helped the company grow. And that’s because there’s a trust level on both sides. KLA does its “due diligence” for both sides. They really want to attract the best people.

What I think hiring managers should know, is that they’re more than just recruiters; they become a confidant, a trusted advisor. That’s very important. Part of being successful is to fill positions when you need them with the best person for that spot, but also to recognize opportunities. When KLA tells me that someone really good has popped up I will try to get a position open, because great people are hard to find — no matter what. What I don’t like about KLA is that Frank doesn’t invite me to play golf and Ken doesn’t invite me to lunch. You can tell them I said that.”

– Alfredo Perez
SVP, Business Development, Behavioral Recognition Systems (BRS Labs)

“As a client of KLA for over six years, I can honestly say that they are connected to more quality career opportunities in high-tech than any other recruiter I have contacted… As technology evolves at an incredible pace, it’s important to me to have a relationship with KLA that ensures my skills are always put to the best use. Working with KLA has allowed me to accelerate both my potential and my career.”

– Michael Bono
National Partnership Manager

“I think of Ken Leiner Associates as sharpshooters; folks that could find a needle in a haystack. In 2004 I hired Ken to place me. He gave me some really good options. I ended up being placed at EMC and spent 11 years there. I’ve since worked with the whole KLA team, and more recently with Gary. He placed me at JTEK, where I’ve now hired several of Gary’s candidates; sales folks and sales executives… primarily “A players;” very high-end sellers.

Our #1 challenge as a company is hiring good sales talent… We’re a small business, and we compete in a big business space. Some of our competitors are multi-BILLION dollar companies. … Corporations and technology companies really go after the folks who have their own rolodex in Federal — or high relationships within big Fortune 500s. So, we’re kind of a small fish, yet very able to extrapolate and get good talent. … One of the pieces is that we’re a technology company that services both the government and commercial market. It’s kind of hard to hire both… and Gary and Ken have absolutely helped us on both sides of the fence.

I think good sales people are the hardest people to find. … At the end of the day, good companies will do anything to keep a good sales person. A decent sales rep you’ve invested in will cost you if they don’t sell anything. So, we try to vet them and qualify them as much as possible with Ken and Gary. They really help execute that qualification process. That’s why I think of KLA as a hired gun, with a sniper approach; they’re not shooting from the hip. They don’t send 500 resumes. It’s usually, ‘Hey Jody, here’s the person and here’s why I think you’ll like her or him. Would you take the interview?”

— Jody Ferguson, Vice President, JTEK Data Solutions

“Gary is an amazing professional recruiter. He truly listens to his clients’ needs and provides only quality options. He won’t waste a client’s time with junk. He cares about the people he works with and shows that in his approach and amazing follow up. I would recommend Gary to anyone looking for a job in IT.”

— Kathleen Jewell
Account Manager, CA

“Ken Leiner Associates met my every expectation during my search process. They provided thorough insight into the position requirements and the interview procedure of the company (Hewlett-Packard) with which I interviewed. This made me very comfortable with my decision and the overall process. I would highly recommend my recruiter and his company, KLA, to anyone seeking fast, professional and confidential career placement assistance.”

– Doug Martin
‍ ‍Technical Consultant, Hewlett-Packard

“I couldn’t have gotten my great job if not for Ken Leiner Associates’s expertise on a previous job search that helped accelerate my career path. I have dealt with 10-15 other recruiters but never as in-depth and with the level of interest, dedication and passion that Ken spent–just out of his own goodwill. Unlike other recruiters, Ken aggressively helped to set up interviews, write my resume and interview effectively. He was instrumental in coaching and guiding me throughout the interview process; including how to ask the right questions and making sure I closed every time. This inspired me to do well for him.

Also, Ken’s team was very “in tune” and up to speed with the type of job that I was looking for. Amy was fantastic! She possessed all the same qualities as Ken; very professional, aggressive and quick to respond to me, and is very positive. I never had to chase her down; she was very punctual. She was also very honest and forthcoming–I really appreciated that she told like it was and didn’t sugarcoat anything. Her insight into the people and company I was going to interview with was instrumental in how to approach them. By far, the next time I go looking for a job I will only go with one recruiting firm: Ken Leiner Associates, and I’ll be calling you with an even more impressive resume.”

-  Ryan Jennings
Federal Sales