Kuder is excited to announce that Erin Milroy has been appointed president, and Bethney Ahrendsen has been named chief success officer, effective immediately.
Milroy succeeds her father Phil Harrington, who served 22 years as president and chief executive officer at Kuder. While Harrington is stepping down as president, he will remain actively involved as chairman and CEO of the company he founded.
“This is a milestone in the history of our company,” Harrington said. “Indeed, my role is changing – but I’ve never been more committed to our mission, and to advancing Kuder as the global authority in career guidance and education.”
Milroy joined Kuder in 2009, and most recently served as executive vice president of business intelligence. She has held key leadership roles throughout her 10-year career at Kuder, including chief strategy officer and vice president of development and business solutions. Milroy has also overseen the company’s international business development, product development, and human resources.
“Kuder would not exist today if not for Erin,” said Harrington, who first discovered the need for quality career planning tools and guidance when his daughter – then in her early teens – came home from school one day with a hastily devised career plan. “There had been little time for self-reflection or self-evaluation,” Harrington said.
Determined to help Erin plan for the future more effectively, Harrington gathered a group of career development scholars to develop a line of research-based assessments, tools, and resources to support individuals throughout all life stages. He founded National Career Assessment Services, Inc. in 1997, and the company was renamed Kuder in 2007.
“Following thorough succession planning, it was clear that no one is more qualified to lead Kuder into the future than Erin,” Harrington said. “It goes without saying that Erin is passionate about career development and helping people dream big and plan accordingly. But she is also a high-integrity leader with a track record of success.”
“I’m grateful to my father for changing the way career guidance is delivered,” said Milroy. “I’m excited about the future – and I’m committed to working with him to continue the Kuder legacy and drive innovation and creativity to bring value to our clients.”
As president, Milroy will lead Kuder’s day-to-day operations management and work closely with executive leadership to further the company’s vision to help people discover and achieve what they want to be.
As chief success officer, Ahrendsen will oversee client implementation, client engagement, professional development, and product training for Kuder. “Simply put, we’re centering our strategy on our clients’ success, and Bethney Ahrendsen will drive that success,” said Harrington.
Ahrendsen is moving into the chief success officer position from her previous role as executive vice president of communications. During her 16-year career at Kuder, Ahrendsen has held leadership roles in marketing and business development.
“Bethney has demonstrated a tremendous commitment to Kuder’s values,” said Milroy. “She’s built strong relationships with clients, and I’m excited about their new potential under her leadership.”
“I’m thrilled to work in this new capacity to elevate customer experience,” said Ahrendsen. “I’m looking forward to creating strategies that will bring them greater value.”
