KJT Group Founder Steps Back for New CEO

NY-based research firm KJT Group has promoted Michaela C. Gascon to be its new CEO and President, as founder Kenneth J. Tomaszewski steps back but retains his role as Chairman.

Based in Honeoye Falls, KJT was formed in 2007 by Dr. Tomaszewski, a former Harris Interactive SVP of Research and adjunct professor at the University of Rochester. He sold his remaining ownership stake in 2019, leaving the firm as 100% ESOP, and has since focused on preparing Gascon and the rest of the leadership team for this change.

Gascon (pictured) moves up from President and COO, and has worked at the firm since its launch, in a range of roles 'spanning all functions', according to KJT. She attended SUNY Geneseo for her BS in Business Administration and completed her MBA at RIT's Saunders College of Business in 2008, while also working at KJT. She comments: 'Working across all departments at KJT has been an incredible experience over the past fourteen years. This intimate familiarity with the roles all of our employees have allows for great empathy and a holistic perspective on how to best optimize company growth. I am incredibly proud of KJT as an organization, and excited about the progress we have made together in the past 17 months since I was appointed as President. I very much look forward to the future, as we have an incredible foundation of a truly unique and amazing workplace'.

Dr. Tomaszewski says the firm's accomplishments are an example of 'doing things the old-fashioned way... hard work, strong ethics, and aiming for an ever-better approach, while never taking things for granted'. He adds: 'Michaela is a fantastic leadership choice to continue this incredible story, and I am so excited to work with her in my new role, certainly more on the side lines for me, and see what our team can do together amidst the market's new challenges, under her leadership. I cannot thank Michaela enough, and many others, for the opportunity and trust they gave me, to lead us to this point'.

Web site: www.kjtgroup.com .