Korn Ferry Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year FY’23 Results of Operations

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Highlights

  • Korn Ferry reports Q4 FY’23 fee revenue of $730.9 million, an increase of 1% (up 3% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q4 FY’22 and full year FY’23 fee revenue of $2,835.4 million, an increase of 8% (up 12% on a constant currency basis) compared to FY’22.

  • Net income attributable to Korn Ferry for the fourth quarter and full year of FY’23 was $47.5 million and $209.5 million, respectively, while diluted and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $0.91 and $1.01 in Q4 FY’23, and were $3.95 and $4.94 for the full year, respectively.

  • Operating income and Adjusted EBITDA were $72.6 million (operating margin of 9.9%) and $97.9 million (Adjusted EBITDA margin of 13.4%), respectively, in Q4 FY'23, while full year amounts were $316.3 million (operating margin of 11.2%) and $457.3 million (Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.1%), respectively.

  • The Company repurchased 255,000 shares of stock during the quarter for $13.4 million and paid dividends of $8.0 million.

  • On June 26, 2023, the Company increased its regular quarterly cash dividend by 20% to $0.18 per share, which is payable on July 31, 2023 to stockholders of record on July 7, 2023.

  • For the full year the Company continued to maintain its balanced approach to capital allocation by investing $254.8 million in acquisitions, investing $61.0 million in cap-ex primarily related to the Digital business and corporate infrastructure, spending $18.5 million on debt service costs, and returning $93.9 million and $33.0 million to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends, respectively.

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), a global organizational consulting firm, today announced fourth quarter and annual fee revenue of $730.9 million and $2,835.4 million, respectively. In addition, fourth quarter diluted earnings per share was $0.91 and adjusted diluted earnings per share was $1.01.

"During fiscal year 2023 our fee revenue reached an all-time high of $2.84 billion, up 8% at actual, 12% constant currency. The story of this period though is really about the success of our diversification strategy, set forth over the past few years, which has created new revenue streams and offerings, as clearly evidenced by our clients and in our results," said Gary D. Burnison, CEO, Korn Ferry.

"In FY’23 we added a completely new capability – an interim and transition management business with more than $400 million of annual revenue on a run rate basis," added Burnison. "Additionally, the Consulting and Digital businesses have never been more relevant as our clients increasingly seek transformation, growth and profitability.

"With a world immersed in Generative AI, Korn Ferry will continue to invest not only in these technologies, but also in advancing our proprietary data, assessment instruments and knowledge as these will be the ultimate differentiators."

Selected Financial Results

(dollars in millions, except per share amounts) (a)

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Fee revenue

$

730.9

$

721.1

$

2,835.4

$

2,626.7

Total revenue

$

738.1

$

727.0

$

2,863.8

$

2,643.5

Operating income

$

72.6

$

138.8

$

316.3

$

470.1

Operating margin

9.9

%

19.2

%

11.2

%

17.9

%

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

47.5

$

91.7

$

209.5

$

326.4

Basic earnings per share

$

0.91

$

1.71

$

3.98

$

6.04

Diluted earnings per share

$

0.91

$

1.70

$

3.95

$

5.98

Adjusted Results (b):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Adjusted EBITDA

$

97.9

$

144.4

$

457.3

$

538.9

Adjusted EBITDA margin

13.4

%

20.0

%

16.1

%

20.5

%

Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

53.0

$

94.4

$

262.2

$

340.1

Adjusted basic earnings per share

$

1.02

$

1.77

$

4.98

$

6.30

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

$

1.01

$

1.75

$

4.94

$

6.23

______________________

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

(b)

Adjusted EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right of use assets and net restructuring charges when applicable. Adjusted results on a consolidated basis are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following, as applicable (see attached reconciliations):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Integration/acquisition costs

$

5.5

$

3.6

$

14.9

$

7.9

Impairment of fixed assets

$

—

$

—

$

4.4

$

1.9

Impairment of right of use assets

$

—

$

—

$

5.5

$

7.4

Restructuring charges, net

$

1.4

$

—

$

42.6

$

—

Fiscal 2023 Fourth Quarter Results

The Company reported fee revenue in Q4 FY’23 of $730.9 million, an increase of 1% (up 3% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q4 FY’22. Fee revenue increased primarily due to an increase in the Interim portion of Professional Search & Interim, resulting from the acquisitions of Patina, Infinity Consulting Solutions and Salo (collectively, the "acquisitions"). This was partially offset by decreases in Executive Search, the Permanent Placement portion of Professional Search & Interim and RPO mainly due to a decline in demand driven by global economic factors.

Operating margin was 9.9% in Q4 FY’23, compared to 19.2% in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 13.4% in Q4 FY'23, compared to 20.0% in the year-ago quarter. Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $47.5 million in Q4 FY'23, compared to $91.7 million in Q4 FY’22 and Adjusted EBITDA was $97.9 million in Q4 FY’23, compared to $144.4 million in Q4 FY’22.

Operating margin and Adjusted EBITDA margin decreased primarily due to a change in fee revenue mix, with fee revenue decreasing in Executive Search and Permanent Placement, which have higher margins, and being replaced with fee revenue in Interim that has lower margins, but is more resilient to economic factors and in line with our strategy.

Fiscal 2023 Full Year Results

The Company reported fee revenue in FY’23 of $2,835.4 million, an increase of 8% (up 12% on a constant currency basis) compared to FY’22. Fee revenue increased in all lines of business except Executive Search which was down about 6% compared to FY22 mainly due to a decline in demand driven by global economic factors. The acquisitions included in Professional Search & Interim segment were a significant factor in the increase in fee revenue compared to FY22.

Operating margin was 11.2% in FY’23, compared to 17.9% in FY’22. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 16.1% in FY'23 compared to 20.5% in FY’22. Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $209.5 million in FY’23 as compared to $326.4 million in FY’22 and Adjusted EBITDA was $457.3 million in FY’23 as compared to $538.9 million in FY’22.

Operating margin decreased primarily due to a change in fee revenue mix, with a decrease in fee revenue in Executive Search and Permanent Placement, which have higher margins, and being replaced with fee revenue in Interim that has lower margins, but is more resilient to economic factors and in line with our strategy and was also impacted by an increase in restructuring charges, net recorded in FY’23.

The decline in Adjusted EBITDA margin was primarily due to the change in fee revenue mix discussed above.

Results by Line of Business

Selected Consulting Data

(dollars in millions) (a)

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Fee revenue

$

175.3

$

173.9

$

677.0

$

650.2

Total revenue

$

178.0

$

175.6

$

687.0

$

654.2

Ending number of consultants and execution staff (b)

1,853

1,841

1,853

1,841

Hours worked in thousands (c)

450

471

1,790

1,766

Average bill rate (d)

$

390

$

369

$

378

$

368

Adjusted Results (e):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Adjusted EBITDA

$

24.6

$

30.7

$

108.5

$

116.1

Adjusted EBITDA margin

14.0

%

17.6

%

16.0

%

17.9

%

______________________

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

(b)

Represents number of employees originating, delivering and executing consulting services.

(c)

The number of hours worked by consultant and execution staff during the period.

(d)

The amount of fee revenue divided by the number of hours worked by consultants and execution staff.

(e)

Adjusted results exclude the following:

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Impairment of fixed assets

$

—

$

—

$

2.8

$

0.3

Impairment of right of use assets

$

—

$

—

$

3.1

$

2.5

Restructuring charges, net

$

0.8

$

—

$

11.6

$

—

Fee revenue was $175.3 million in Q4 FY’23 compared to $173.9 million in Q4 FY’22, an increase of $1.4 million or 1% (up 3% on a constant currency basis). Consulting saw growth in our core solution Organizational Strategy, partially offset by a decline in fee revenue from Leadership Development.

Adjusted EBITDA was $24.6 million in Q4 FY’23 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.0% compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $30.7 million with an associated margin of 17.6% in the year-ago quarter. This decrease in Adjusted EBITDA resulted primarily from an increase in compensation and benefits expense due to higher performance-related bonus expense, partially offset by an increase in fee revenue.

Selected Digital Data

(dollars in millions) (a)

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Fee revenue

$

91.5

$

89.5

$

354.7

$

349.0

Total revenue

$

91.5

$

89.5

$

355.0

$

349.4

Ending number of consultants

347

305

347

305

Subscription & License fee revenue

$

31.6

$

29.1

$

119.7

$

108.7

Adjusted Results (b):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Adjusted EBITDA

$

23.6

$

27.7

$

97.5

$

110.1

Adjusted EBITDA margin

25.8

%

31.0

%

27.5

%

31.5

%

______________________

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

(b)

Adjusted results exclude the following:

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Impairment of fixed assets

$

—

$

—

$

1.5

$

0.2

Impairment of right of use assets

$

—

$

—

$

1.7

$

1.3

Restructuring charges, net

$

—

$

—

$

2.9

$

—

Fee revenue was $91.5 million in Q4 FY’23 compared to $89.5 million in Q4 FY’22, an increase of $2.0 million or 2% (up 5% on a constant currency basis). The accumulation of sales of subscriptions in fiscal 2023 has created year-over-year growth in subscription based revenue with increases in both sales effectiveness and total rewards tools.

Adjusted EBITDA was $23.6 million in Q4 FY’23 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.8% compared to $27.7 million and 31.0%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin resulted from an increase in compensation and benefits primarily due to an increase in average headcount compared to the year-ago quarter, partially offset by an increase in fee revenue discussed above.

Selected Executive Search Data(a)

(dollars in millions) (b)

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Fee revenue

$

212.6

$

244.2

$

875.8

$

935.6

Total revenue

$

214.6

$

245.7

$

883.3

$

939.9

Ending number of consultants

602

587

602

587

Average number of consultants

609

584

594

555

Engagements billed

3,772

4,417

10,091

11,085

New engagements (c)

1,508

1,851

6,343

7,213

Adjusted Results (d):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Adjusted EBITDA

$

42.7

$

64.2

$

205.8

$

257.6

Adjusted EBITDA margin

20.1

%

26.3

%

23.5

%

27.5

%

______________________

(a)

Executive Search is the sum of the individual Executive Search Reporting Segments and is presented on a consolidated basis as it is consistent with the Company’s discussion of its Lines of Business, and financial metrics used by the Company’s investor base.

(b)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

(c)

Represents new engagements opened in the respective period.

(d)

Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following:

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Impairment of fixed assets

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

0.1

Impairment of right of use assets

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

0.9

Restructuring charges, net

$

0.6

$

—

$

20.1

$

—

Fee revenue was $212.6 million and $244.2 million in Q4 FY’23 and Q4 FY’22, respectively, a year-over-year decrease of 13% (down 11% on a constant currency basis). Fee revenue saw a decline in all regions of Executive Search as a result of a 15% decrease in the number of engagements billed, partially offset by a 4% increase in weighted-average fee billed per engagement (calculated using local currency).

Adjusted EBITDA was $42.7 million in Q4 FY’23 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 20.1% compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $64.2 million and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.3%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to the decrease in fee revenue discussed above, partially offset by a decrease in performance-related bonus expense.

Selected Professional Search & Interim Data(a)

(dollars in millions) (b)

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Fee revenue

$

151.7

$

100.7

$

503.4

$

297.1

Total revenue

$

152.6

$

101.1

$

507.1

$

298.0

Permanent Placement:

Fee revenue

$

62.5

$

81.5

$

281.1

$

262.9

Engagements billed (c)

2,304

2,892

7,435

6,633

New engagements (d)

1,364

1,904

6,486

5,633

Ending number of consultants (e)

401

479

401

479

Interim: (started in Q3 FY'22)

Fee revenue

$

89.2

$

19.2

$

222.3

$

34.2

Average bill rate (f)

$

124

$

104

$

115

$

98

Average weekly billable consultants (g)

1,683

406

1,079

388

Adjusted Results (h):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Adjusted EBITDA

$

27.3

$

33.4

$

110.9

$

106.0

Adjusted EBITDA margin

18.0

%

33.2

%

22.0

%

35.7

%

_____________________

(a)

In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company changed the composition of its global segments. Professional Search & Interim segment represents the single hire to multi hire permanent placement and interim business that was previously included in the RPO & Professional Search segment. Segment data for Q4 FY’22 and year to date FY ’22 has been recast to reflect the division of the RPO & Professional Search segment into the RPO segment and Professional Search & Interim segment.

(b)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

(c)

Represents engagements billed for professional search.

(d)

Represents new engagements opened for professional search in the respective period.

(e)

Represents number of employees originating professional search.

(f)

Fee revenue from interim divided by the number of hours worked by consultants.

(g)

The number of billable consultants based on a weekly average in the respective period.

(h)

Adjusted results exclude the following:

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Impairment of fixed assets

$

—

$

—

$

0.1

$

0.9

Impairment of right of use assets

$

—

$

—

$

0.6

$

1.4

Integration/acquisition costs

$

4.3

$

2.3

$

11.0

$

3.7

Restructuring charges, net

$

—

$

—

$

4.8

$

—

Fee revenue was $151.7 million in Q4 FY’23, an increase of $51.0 million or 51% (up 52% on a constant currency basis), compared to the year-ago quarter. The increase in fee revenue was mainly driven by the acquisitions, partially offset by a decrease in Permanent Placement fee revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA was $27.3 million in Q4 FY’23 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.0% compared to $33.4 million and 33.2%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA margin was primarily due to a change in the revenue mix with decreases in Permanent Placement fee revenue being more than offset by an increase in fee revenue from Interim due to the acquisitions, which have lower margins but are more resilient to economic factors and in line with our strategy.

Selected RPO Data(a)

(dollars in millions) (b)

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Fee revenue

$

99.8

$

112.8

$

424.6

$

394.8

Total revenue

$

101.4

$

115.0

$

431.5

$

401.9

Remaining revenue under contract(c)

$

776.7

$

776.8

$

776.7

$

776.8

RPO new business(d)

$

115.1

$

212.7

$

597.8

$

597.1

Adjusted Results (e):

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Adjusted EBITDA

$

9.0

$

17.4

$

52.6

$

59.1

Adjusted EBITDA margin

9.0

%

15.4

%

12.4

%

15.0

%

______________________

(a)

In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company changed the composition of its global segments. RPO segment represents the recruitment outsourcing business that was previously included in the RPO & Professional Search segment. Segment data for Q4 FY’22 and year to date FY’22 has been recast to reflect the division of the RPO & Professional Search segment into a RPO segment and Professional Search & Interim segment.

(b)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

(c)

Estimated fee revenue associated with signed contracts for which revenue has not yet been recognized.

(d)

Estimated total value of a contract at the point of execution of the contract.

(e)

Adjusted results exclude the following:

Fourth Quarter

Year to Date

FY’23

FY’22

FY’23

FY’22

Impairment of fixed assets

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

0.4

Impairment of right of use assets

$

—

$

—

$

0.1

$

1.2

Restructuring charges, net

$

—

$

—

$

3.1

$

—

Fee revenue was $99.8 million in Q4 FY’23, a decrease of $13.0 million or 12% (down 9% on a constant currency basis), compared to the year-ago quarter. RPO fee revenue decreased due to a decline in demand driven by global economic factors.

Adjusted EBITDA was $9.0 million in Q4 FY’23 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 9.0% compared to $17.4 million and 15.4%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to the decrease in fee revenue, partially offset by a decrease in compensation and benefits expense.

Outlook

Assuming no new major pandemic related lockdowns or further changes in worldwide geopolitical conditions, economic conditions, financial markets or foreign exchange rates, on a consolidated basis:

  • Q1 FY’24 fee revenue is expected to be in the range of $668 million and $698 million; and

  • Q1 FY’24 diluted earnings per share is expected to range between $0.78 to $0.95.

On a consolidated adjusted basis:

  • Q1 FY’24 adjusted diluted earnings per share is expected to be in the range from $0.84 to $1.00.

Q1 FY’24
Earnings Per Share
Outlook

Low

High

Consolidated diluted earnings per share

$

0.78

$

0.95

Integration/acquisition costs

0.09

0.07

Tax rate Impact

(0.03

)

(0.02

)

Consolidated adjusted diluted earnings per share(1)

$

0.84

$

1.00

______________________

(1)

Consolidated adjusted diluted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the items listed in the table.

Earnings Conference Call Webcast

The earnings conference call will be held today at 12:00 PM (EDT) and hosted by CEO Gary Burnison, CFO Robert Rozek, SVP Business Development & Analytics Gregg Kvochak and VP Investor Relations Tiffany Louder. The conference call will be webcast and available online at ir.kornferry.com. We will also post to this section of our website earnings slides, which will accompany our webcast, and other important information, and encourage you to review the information that we make available on our website.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help clients synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. We work with organizations to design their structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people to bring their strategy to life. And we advise them on how to reward, develop, and motivate their people. Visit kornferry.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release and our conference call that relate to our outlook, projections, goals, strategies, future plans and expectations, including statements relating to expected demand for our products and services, and other statements of future events or conditions are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "goals", "estimates", "guidance", "may", "should", "could", "will" or "likely", and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Such statements are based on current expectations; actual results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected or desired because of a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the control of Korn Ferry. The potential risks and uncertainties include those relating to the ultimate magnitude and duration of any pandemic or outbreaks, and related restrictions and operational requirements that apply to our business and the businesses of our clients, and any related negative impacts on our business, employees, customers and our ability to provide services in affected regions, global and local political or economic developments in or affecting countries where we have operations, including concerns regarding a potential recession, inflation, interest rates, tax rates, and economic uncertainty, competition, changes in demand for our services as a result of automation, the dependence on and costs of attracting and retaining qualified and experienced consultants, dislocation in the labor markets and increasing competition for highly skilled workers, our ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain key employees, maintaining our brand name and professional reputation, impact of inflationary pressures on our profitability, potential legal liability and regulatory developments, the portability of client relationships, consolidation of the industries we serve, changes and developments in government laws and regulations, evolving investor and customer expectations with regard to environmental, social and governance matters, currency fluctuations in our international operations, risks related to growth, alignment of our cost structure, restrictions imposed by off-limits agreements, reliance on information processing systems, cyber security vulnerabilities, changes to data security, data privacy and data protection laws, limited protection of our intellectual property, our ability to enhance and develop new technology, our ability to develop new products and services, the utilization and billing rates of our consultants, dependence on third parties for the execution of critical functions, our ability to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problems, changes in our accounting estimates/assumptions, treaties, or regulations on our business and our company, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use, our indebtedness, expansion of social media platforms, seasonality, ability to effect acquisition and integrate acquired businesses, including Infinity Consulting Solutions and Salo and employment liability risk. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties that could cause differences, please refer to Korn Ferry’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Korn Ferry disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). In particular, it includes:

  • Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right of use assets and restructuring charges net of income tax effect;

  • Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right of use assets and restructuring charges net of income tax effect;

  • Constant currency (calculated using a quarterly average) percentages that represent the percentage change that would have resulted had exchange rates in the prior period been the same as those in effect in the current period; and

  • Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA, which is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right of use assets and restructuring charges when applicable, and Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA margin.

This non-GAAP disclosure has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures in this press release provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry’s performance by excluding certain charges that may not be indicative of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures are performance measures and are not indicative of the liquidity of Korn Ferry. These charges, which are described in the footnotes in the attached reconciliations, represent 1) costs we incurred to acquire and integrate a portion of our Professional Search & Interim business, 2) impairment of fixed assets associated with the decision to terminate and sublease some of our offices, 3) impairment of right of use assets due to the decision to terminate and sublease some of our offices and 4) Restructuring charges, net to realign workforce with the Company’s business needs and objectives. The use of non-GAAP financial measures facilitates comparisons to Korn Ferry’s historical performance. Korn Ferry includes non-GAAP financial measures because management believes they are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making. Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share and Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA, exclude certain charges that management does not consider on-going in nature and allows management and investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results. Management further believes that Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by investors and other interested parties to measure operating performance among companies with different capital structures, effective tax rates and tax attributes and capitalized asset values, all of which can vary substantially from company to company. In the case of constant currency percentages, management believes the presentation of such information provides useful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry’s performance as excluding the impact of exchange rate changes on Korn Ferry’s financial performance allows investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results, to better identify operating trends that may otherwise be masked or distorted by exchange rate changes and to perform related trend analysis, and provides a higher degree of transparency of information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended
April 30,

Year Ended
April 30,

2023

2022

2023

2022

(unaudited)

Fee revenue

$

730,874

$

721,139

$

2,835,408

$

2,626,718

Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses

7,250

5,864

28,428

16,737

Total revenue

738,124

727,003

2,863,836

2,643,455

Compensation and benefits

491,429

467,706

1,901,203

1,741,452

General and administrative expenses

66,130

62,129

268,458

237,272

Reimbursed expenses

7,250

5,864

28,428

16,737

Cost of services

81,347

36,411

238,499

114,399

Depreciation and amortization

17,976

16,140

68,335

63,521

Restructuring charges, net

1,411

—

42,573

—

Total operating expenses

665,543

588,250

2,547,496

2,173,381

Operating income

72,581

138,753

316,340

470,074

Other income (loss), net

437

(14,116

)

5,261

(11,880

)

Interest expense, net

(5,776

)

(6,473

)

(25,864

)

(25,293

)

Income before provision for income taxes

67,242

118,164

295,737

432,901

Income tax provision

19,108

25,105

82,683

102,056

Net income

48,134

93,059

213,054

330,845

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest

(640

)

(1,395

)

(3,525

)

(4,485

)

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

47,494

$

91,664

$

209,529

$

326,360

Earnings per common share attributable to Korn Ferry:

Basic

$

0.91

$

1.71

$

3.98

$

6.04

Diluted

$

0.91

$

1.70

$

3.95

$

5.98

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

Basic

51,009

52,352

51,482

52,807

Diluted

51,234

52,834

51,883

53,401

Cash dividends declared per share:

$

0.15

$

0.12

$

0.60

$

0.48

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

FINANCIAL SUMMARY BY REPORTING SEGMENT

(dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)

Three Months Ended April 30,

Year Ended April 30,

2023

2022

% Change

2023

2022

% Change

Fee revenue:

Consulting

$

175,270

$

173,944

0.8

%

$

677,001

$

650,204

4.1

%

Digital

91,490

89,521

2.2

%

354,651

349,025

1.6

%

Executive Search:

North America

135,300

156,232

(13.4

)%

562,139

605,704

(7.2

%)

EMEA

46,353

49,502

(6.4

)%

187,014

182,192

2.6

%

Asia Pacific

23,188

30,211

(23.2

)%

95,598

118,596

(19.4

%)

Latin America

7,764

8,254

(5.9

)%

31,047

29,069

6.8

%

Total Executive Search (a)

212,605

244,199

(12.9

)%

875,798

935,561

(6.4

%)

Professional Search & Interim

151,725

100,685

50.7

%

503,395

297,096

69.4

%

RPO

99,784

112,790

(11.5

)%

424,563

394,832

7.5

%

Total fee revenue

730,874

721,139

1.3

%

2,835,408

2,626,718

7.9

%

Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses

7,250

5,864

23.6

%

28,428

16,737

69.9

%

Total revenue

$

738,124

$

727,003

1.5

%

$

2,863,836

$

2,643,455

8.3

%

(a)

Total Executive Search is the sum of the individual Executive Search Reporting Segments and is presented on a consolidated basis as it is consistent with the Company’s discussion of its Lines of Business, and financial metrics used by the Company’s investor base.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

April 30,
2023

April 30,
2022

ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents

$

844,024

$

978,070

Marketable securities

44,837

57,244

Receivables due from clients, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $44,377 and $36,384 at April 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively

569,601

590,260

Income taxes and other receivables

67,512

31,884

Unearned compensation

63,476

60,749

Prepaid expenses and other assets

49,219

41,763

Total current assets

1,638,669

1,759,970

Marketable securities, non-current

179,040

175,783

Property and equipment, net

161,876

138,172

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

142,690

167,734

Cash surrender value of company-owned life insurance policies, net of loans

197,998

183,308

Deferred income taxes

102,057

84,712

Goodwill

909,491

725,592

Intangible assets, net

114,426

89,770

Unearned compensation, non-current

103,607

118,238

Investments and other assets

24,590

21,267

Total assets

$

3,574,444

$

3,464,546

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Accounts payable

$

53,386

$

50,932

Income taxes payable

19,969

34,450

Compensation and benefits payable

532,934

547,826

Operating lease liability, current

45,821

48,609

Other accrued liabilities

324,150

302,408

Total current liabilities

976,260

984,225

Deferred compensation and other retirement plans

396,534

357,175

Operating lease liability, non-current

119,220

151,212

Long-term debt

396,194

395,477

Deferred tax liabilities

5,352

2,715

Other liabilities

27,879

24,153

Total liabilities

1,921,439

1,914,957

Stockholders' equity

Common stock: $0.01 par value, 150,000 shares authorized, 76,693 and 75,409 shares issued and 52,269 and 53,190 shares outstanding at April 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively

429,754

502,008

Retained earnings

1,311,081

1,134,523

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net

(92,764

)

(92,185

)

Total Korn Ferry stockholders' equity

1,648,071

1,544,346

Noncontrolling interest

4,934

5,243

Total stockholders' equity

1,653,005

1,549,589

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

3,574,444

$

3,464,546

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

Three Months Ended
April 30,

Year Ended
April 30,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

47,494

$

91,664

$

209,529

$

326,360

Net income attributable to non-controlling interest

640

1,395

3,525

4,485

Net income

48,134

93,059

213,054

330,845

Income tax provision

19,108

25,105

82,683

102,056

Income before provision for income taxes

67,242

118,164

295,737

432,901

Other (income) loss, net

(437

)

14,116

(5,261

)

11,880

Interest expense, net

5,776

6,473

25,864

25,293

Operating income

72,581

138,753

316,340

470,074

Depreciation and amortization

17,976

16,140

68,335

63,521

Other income (loss), net

437

(14,116

)

5,261

(11,880

)

Integration/acquisition costs (1)

5,450

3,608

14,922

7,906

Impairment of fixed assets (2)

—

—

4,375

1,915

Impairment of right of use assets (3)

—

—

5,471

7,392

Restructuring charges, net (4)

1,411

—

42,573

—

Adjusted EBITDA

$

97,855

$

144,385

$

457,277

$

538,928

Operating margin

9.9

%

19.2

%

11.2

%

17.9

%

Depreciation and amortization

2.5

%

2.2

%

2.4

%

2.4

%

Other income (loss), net

0.1

%

(1.9

) %

0.2

%

(0.5

) %

Integration/acquisition costs (1)

0.7

%

0.5

%

0.5

%

0.3

%

Impairment of fixed assets (2)

—

—

0.1

%

0.1

%

Impairment of right of use assets (3)

—

—

0.2

%

0.3

%

Restructuring charges, net (4)

0.2

%

—

1.5

%

—

Adjusted EBITDA margin

13.4

%

20.0

%

16.1

%

20.5

%

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

47,494

$

91,664

$

209,529

$

326,360

Integration/acquisition costs (1)

5,450

3,608

14,922

7,906

Impairment of fixed assets (2)

—

—

4,375

1,915

Impairment of right of use assets (3)

—

—

5,471

7,392

Restructuring charges, net (4)

1,411

—

42,573

—

Tax effect on the adjusted items (5)

(1,309

)

(844

)

(14,719

)

(3,476

)

Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

53,046

$

94,428

$

262,151

$

340,097

Basic earnings per common share

$

0.91

$

1.71

$

3.98

$

6.04

Integration/acquisition costs (1)

0.11

0.08

0.29

0.15

Impairment of fixed assets (2)

—

—

0.08

0.04

Impairment of right of use assets (3)

—

—

0.10

0.14

Restructuring charges, net (4)

0.03

—

0.82

—

Tax effect on the adjusted items (5)

(0.03

)

(0.02

)

(0.29

)

(0.07

)

Adjusted basic earnings per share

$

1.02

$

1.77

$

4.98

$

6.30

Diluted earnings per common share

$

0.91

$

1.70

$

3.95

$

5.98

Integration/acquisition costs (1)

0.10

0.07

0.28

0.15

Impairment of fixed assets (2)

—

—

0.08

0.03

Impairment of right of use assets (3)

—

—

0.10

0.14

Restructuring charges, net (4)

0.03

—

0.82

—

Tax effect on the adjusted items (5)

(0.03

)

(0.02

)

(0.29

)

(0.07

)

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

$

1.01

$

1.75

$

4.94

$

6.23

Explanation of Non-GAAP Adjustments

(1)

Costs associated with current and previous acquisitions, such as legal and professional fees, retention awards and the on-going integration expenses to combine the companies.

(2)

Costs associated with impairment of fixed assets (i.e. leasehold improvements) due to terminating and deciding to sublease some of our office leases.

(3)

Costs associated with impairment of right-of-use assets due to terminating and deciding to sublease some of our office leases.

(4)

Restructuring charges we incurred to realign workforce with business needs and objectives due to shifts in global trade lanes and persistent inflationary pressures.

(5)

Tax effect on integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets and right of use assets, and restructuring charges, net.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES - CONTINUED

(unaudited)

Three Months Ended April 30,

2023

2022

Fee
revenue

Total
revenue

Adjusted
EBITDA

Adjusted
EBITDA
margin

Fee
revenue

Total
revenue

Adjusted
EBITDA

Adjusted
EBITDA
margin

(dollars in thousands)

Consulting

$

175,270

$

177,985

$

24,558

14.0 %

$

173,944

$

175,636

$

30,650

17.6 %

Digital

91,490

91,488

23,603

25.8 %

89,521

89,543

27,720

31.0 %

Executive Search:

North America

135,300

136,926

28,686

21.2 %

156,232

157,422

43,676

28.0 %

EMEA

46,353

46,671

6,803

14.7 %

49,502

49,786

8,476

17.1 %

Asia Pacific

23,188

23,287

5,499

23.7 %

30,211

30,258

9,133

30.2 %

Latin America

7,764

7,765

1,684

21.7 %

8,254

8,258

2,885

35.0 %

Total Executive Search

212,605

214,649

42,672

20.1 %

244,199

245,724

64,170

26.3 %

Professional Search & Interim

151,725

152,628

27,292

18.0 %

100,685

101,143

33,407

33.2 %

RPO

99,784

101,374

9,026

9.0 %

112,790

114,957

17,400

15.4 %

Corporate

—

—

(29,296)

—

—

(28,962)

Consolidated

$

730,874

$

738,124

$

97,855

13.4 %

$

721,139

$

727,003

$

144,385

20.0 %

Years Ended April 30,

2023

2022

Fee
revenue

Total
revenue

Adjusted
EBITDA

Adjusted
EBITDA
margin

Fee
revenue

Total
revenue

Adjusted
EBITDA

Adjusted
EBITDA
margin

(dollars in thousands)

Consulting

$

677,001

$

686,979

$

108,502

16.0 %

$

650,204

$

654,199

$

116,108

17.9 %

Digital

354,651

354,967

97,458

27.5 %

349,025

349,437

110,050

31.5 %

Executive Search:

North America

562,139

568,212

140,850

25.1 %

605,704

609,258

181,615

30.0 %

EMEA

187,014

188,114

31,380

16.8 %

182,192

182,866

31,804

17.5 %

Asia Pacific

95,598

95,956

24,222

25.3 %

118,596

118,705

35,105

29.6 %

Latin America

31,047

31,054

9,370

30.2 %

29,069

29,079

9,089

31.3 %

Total Executive Search

875,798

883,336

205,822

23.5 %

935,561

939,908

257,613

27.5 %

Professional Search & Interim

503,395

507,058

110,879

22.0 %

297,096

297,974

106,015

35.7 %

RPO

424,563

431,496

52,588

12.4 %

394,832

401,937

59,126

15.0 %

Corporate

—

—

(117,972)

—

—

(109,984)

Consolidated

$

2,835,408

$

2,863,836

$

457,277

16.1 %

$

2,626,718

$

2,643,455

$

538,928

20.5 %

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230620800168/en/

Contacts

Investor Relations: Tiffany Louder, (214) 310-8407
Media: Dan Gugler, (310) 226-2645

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