We’re 500 Strong!

Our people have always been our greatest asset, and we’re thrilled to mark a new firm milestone that highlights the growth of that asset – we’re now 500 strong! From humble beginnings in Indianapolis 80 years ago to 500 employees all over the country today, KSM is proud of our people, whose commitment to our clients, our communities, and especially each other makes KSM a great place to grow a career.

In recognition of reaching the 500-employee milestone, we asked KSMers to share a favorite KSM memory or what they like best about the firm. Our intranet site received a deluge of postings, with employees sharing a wide variety of comments, photos, and videos.

Who best to tell the KSM story than our own people? Keep reading to see what they had to say!

So Many Memories!

Many employees shared fun memories, including post-deadline parties, team outings, Halloween celebrations, and Corporate Challenge events. Other memories captured the deep bonds and values that influence KSM’s culture. Here are a few of those stories:

• “In 2018 we found out my sister Lydia was chosen to compete for the state of Pennsylvania in the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. My family and I decided to make a little video of friends and family cheering her on from home since we couldn’t all go in person. On a random weekday, I sent out an email and said something like, ‘Hey, Lydia is going to the USA Games and if you’d like to be in a little photo for me cheering her on, meet in the lobby at 2:00.’ Well, KSMers FILLED the lobby and wouldn’t even fit in a normal-sized photo. I was so incredibly moved by this; it still gives me chills.” – Casse Tate
• “I have met so many great people, some of which I consider to be my closest friends. So far, one of my favorite memories has to be grinding through the blood, sweat, and tears to bring home our first sand volleyball championship!” – Spencer Leazier
• “One of my favorite memories of KSM is the first time I went to a fall audit group outing as a new hire in September 2016. The group was going to Cincinnati for a baseball game, and I was nervous and shy when I stepped onto the bus because I did not really know anyone yet. But on that bus ride I quickly made several new friendships through meaningful conversations, and I even found a place to live in Indy when Will Claywell invited me to be his roommate. That moment was a hinge point in my life, and many blessings and relationships have flowed from that decision to live with Will in downtown Indy. So, amongst many other great qualities, I am most thankful for the people of KSM.” – Andy McNeely

Driven by Our Commitments to Our People, Our Clients, and Our Communities

Even more KSMers opened up with comments about their personal and professional experiences working at KSM. Grouped by theme, this is what just a handful of them had to say.

People-centric Culture: Our close-knit, people-focused culture is a big part of who we are, and we’re deeply committed to fostering that uniquely supportive firm environment as we continue to grow.

• “It’s been amazing to see the significant growth of KSM over the last 15 years, but even more amazing to see that KSM has retained the same sense of caring deeply about the employees throughout that time. Even through changes in leadership and many new faces joining in, the core values remain at the core of how we treat each other!” – Ryan Elmore
• “KSM has provided many positives since I have started in February 2022. The timing that KSM has presented in my personal and professional life has been a testimony. KSM – a great family, a great place to work, the perks, the personal connections, professional growth, the list goes on. KSM has a collective of phenomenal people.” – Gabby Davis
• “The culture of KSM is so wonderful. It is completely OK to work a part-time schedule and to be flexible about hours. Everyone is just accepting of our differences, and we all just want to work together for the same goals. Such a great company!” – Jen Wolski

Career Development: Our people are encouraged to learn, develop, and grow in an environment that’s nurturing, collaborative, and flexible.

• “Starting out my career in 2020 during the height of the pandemic definitely seemed daunting at the time; however, KSM made it a seemingly easy transition. Over the course of the last couple of years, I have been able to make great friendships, meet amazing people, and overall grow as a person both professionally and personally. Choosing KSM to work was one of my greatest decisions to date!” – Abby Abel
• “As a remote employee, KSM has allowed me to grow my career while still maintaining a great relationship with my colleagues and team.” – Brendan Leahy
• “I’ve had a great first year at KSM, and I feel that I’ve grown a lot in my professional life! KSM has given me a lot of opportunities to better myself, meet new people, and learn new things. I’m excited for where KSM can take me!” – Trevor VanOverberghe

Teamwork: We operate as one firm across our services, industries, and geographies. We know that we are more successful acting together rather than acting apart.

• “The way everyone comes together to serve our clients is what I like best about working here.” – Chuck Jorgenson
• “Having the opportunity to work with such an amazing team is far and away my favorite part of KSM! There are so many people who I feel I could reach out to if I needed anything on a professional or personal level. Having come from another firm, I appreciate even more how wonderful the environment at KSM is.” – Julie Kimbley
• “What I like best about KSM is the great people and working together in a team environment, always able to learn something new.” – Nick Kuntz
• “KSM as a whole is an awesome place to work. I love my co-workers! I have come to appreciate and care about each one of them and am excited to keep building our area as a TEAM! I believe in what we do and feel good about helping our clients be successful.” – Chryl Egenolf

Commitment to Our Communities: From the individual contributions of our staff and partners to giving at the corporate level, we’re dedicated to improving the quality of life within our communities.

• “I really appreciate KSM’s commitment to our communities through generous donations and service.” – Lisa Yost
• “KSM is amazing at giving back to the community and allowing employees the opportunity to participate in [volunteer] activities. The Fort Wayne office does a community ‘Day of Caring’ every year. Recently, the team spent the day packing meals for the nonprofit organization Project 216.” – Tina Cape

Looking Ahead

Reaching 500 employees is a significant milestone, and it’s just one of many indicators that reflect how much we’ve achieved as a firm. As our employees attest, it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of a firm that makes such an enormous impact for clients as well as for our people and the communities we serve, and we’ve done it as a team.

As we look to the future and our growth trajectory continues, so do our efforts to seek out top talent – both experienced hires and new college graduates. KSM has embraced the flexibility of remote work while extending our recruiting reach and expanding our advisory services, giving us the opportunity to recruit candidates with wide-ranging, diverse backgrounds from all over the U.S.

Does KSM sound like a place for you? Consider joining a dynamic group of professionals building rewarding careers with unlimited potential as part of KSM’s employee-focused team. We invite you to explore career opportunities with us.