KORN FERRY - Annual Report: 2013 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2013

OR

Commission File Number 001-14505

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(310) 552-1834

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨    No  þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  þ

The number of shares outstanding of our common stock as of June 18, 2013 was 48,813,213 shares. The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on October 31, 2012, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, (assuming that the registrant’s only affiliates are its officers, directors and 10% or greater stockholders) was approximately $591,403,079 based upon the closing market price of $13.39 on that date of a share of common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders scheduled to be held on September 26, 2013 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL

Index to Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2013

PART I.

Business Overview

Korn/Ferry International (referred to herein as the “Company,” “Korn/Ferry,” or in the first person notations “we,” “our,” and “us”) is a premier global provider of talent management solutions that help clients to design strategies to assist clients in building and attracting their talent. We opened our first office in Los Angeles in 1969 and currently operate in 87 offices in 37 countries. As of April 30, 2013, we had 3,272 full-time employees, including 399 Executive Recruitment, 133 Leadership & Talent Consulting, and 75 Futurestep consultants who are primarily responsible for client services. Our clients include many of the world’s largest and most prestigious public and private companies, middle market and emerging growth companies, as well as government and nonprofit organizations. We have built strong client loyalty with 81% of our assignments performed during fiscal 2013 on behalf of clients for whom we had conducted assignments in the previous three fiscal years.

We were originally formed as a California corporation in November 1969 and reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in fiscal 2000.

Korn/Ferry delivers and develops superior talent for the world’s leading organizations. We focus on three areas:

Delivered by our professionals and utilizing proprietary research and intellectual property, Korn/Ferry helps clients design strategies to assist clients in building and attracting leaders who can drive organizational success, through the following business segments:

Executive Recruitment:    Executive Recruitment, our largest business, focuses on recruiting board-level, chief executive and other senior executive positions for clients predominantly in the consumer, financial services, industrial, life sciences/healthcare provider, technology and educational industries. The relationships that we develop through this business allows us to add incremental value to our clients through the delivery of our many talent management solutions.

Leadership & Talent Consulting (“LTC”):    Our comprehensive blend of talent management offerings assists clients with their ongoing assessment, organizational design and leadership development efforts. Services address six fundamental needs — board effectiveness, Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) & top team effectiveness, diversity & inclusion, integrated talent management, leadership development, and organization transformation. Each of Korn/Ferry’s solutions is delivered by an experienced team of leadership consultants, a global network of top executive coaches and the intellectual property of research-based, time-tested leadership assessment and developmental tools.

High-Impact Recruitment Solutions:    In 1998, we extended our market reach into recruitment for non-executive professionals with the introduction of our subsidiary, Futurestep. Futurestep draws from Korn/Ferry’s four decades of industry experience to offer fully customized, flexible services to help organizations meet their talent and recruitment needs. Futurestep’s portfolio of services includes recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”), project recruitment, search and consulting.

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). You may read and copy any materials that we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330. Our reports, proxy statements and other documents filed electronically with the SEC are available at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

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We also make available, free of charge on our website at www.kornferry.com, our annual, quarterly, and current reports, and, if applicable, amendments to those reports, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such reports with, or furnish them to, the SEC.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation and Personnel Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors are also posted on our website at www.kornferry.com. Stockholders may request copies of these documents by writing to our Corporate Secretary at 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2600, Los Angeles, California 90067.

Industry Overview

Executive Recruitment Services:    Our executive recruitment services concentrate on searches for positions with annual compensation of $250,000 or more, or comparable in foreign locations, which may involve board-level, chief executive and other senior executive positions. The industry is comprised of retained and contingency recruitment firms. Retained firms, such as Korn/Ferry, typically charge a fee for their services equal to approximately one-third of the first year annual cash compensation for the position being filled regardless of whether the position is filled. Contingency firms generally work on a non-exclusive basis and are compensated only upon successfully placing a recommended candidate.

Leadership & Talent Consulting Services:    Our LTC services are accelerating our transformation into a broad-based talent management firm. These diversified offerings help our clients to not only attract but to design and develop their talent, to maximize leadership effectiveness and business impact. Our LTC offerings have recently been expanded and enhanced through the acquisitions of PDI Ninth House (“PDI”) and Global Novations, LLC (“Global Novations”).

High-Impact Recruitment Solutions:    Futurestep, a Korn/Ferry subsidiary, offers talent acquisition solutions for mid- and high-level management, with annual compensation less than $250,000 or comparable in foreign locations. Futurestep has locations on five continents and a record of success in helping clients improve business performance through high-impact talent.

Industry Trends

The current global economic environment is unpredictable as we face such challenges as low job growth, uneven consumer demand, and sovereign governments near financial crisis. Despite these market conditions, we remain vigilant about accelerating our clients’ success and believe the mid- to long-term business outlook for the talent management industry is positive. Contributing to this is a confluence of market trends which should ultimately fuel job growth and hiring, including the following:

Consolidation of Talent Management Solution Providers — In choosing recruitment and human resource service providers, we believe:

Skills Gaps — There are not enough highly “skilled” people coming into the labor market to fill open jobs. Particularly at the senior management levels, there is an inadequate available talent pool. New leaders must step into bigger, more complex, and more global roles faster — and with less experience — than their predecessors. We believe employers will increasingly seek service providers who can help them find, develop and retain highly qualified talent that secures a competitive advantage.

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Human Capital Is One of the Top CEO Challenges — Whereas the innovation solution used to be technology, now the human element — the people, the minds, the alliances and the culture that can create and then nurture innovative ideas — are seen as central to CEOs. In fact, according to the Conference Board, human capital — including talent acquisition, leadership, employee development, training and engagement — is the single biggest challenge facing CEOs in 2013.

Emerging Markets Are Focus for New Growth — We are experiencing a global workforce imbalance as slower-growth countries are facing hiring slowdowns and emerging economies’ need for talent is increasing. If emerging markets in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa are to continue their growth trajectory, they will need to solve human capital issues like how to attract, engage and retain highly competent, innovative talent, as well as how to develop effective leaders to drive the business. As companies expand internationally, and different markets present more attractive business opportunities, they have to think about their workforce and talent in this way too. Clients are turning to firms that understand the global complexities impacting workforce planning today.

Talent Analytics — Companies are increasingly leveraging big data and analytics to measure the influence of activities across all aspects of their business, including HR. They expect their service providers to deliver superior metrics and measures and better ways of communicating results. Korn/Ferry’s go-to-market approach is increasingly focused on talent analytics — we are injecting research-based intellectual property (“IP”) into all areas of our business, cascading innovation and new offerings up to our clients.

Increased Outsourcing of Recruitment Functions — More companies are focusing on core competencies and outsourcing non-core, back-office functions to providers who can provide efficient, high-quality services. Third-party providers can apply immediate and long-term approaches for improving all aspects of talent acquisition. Advantages to outsourcing part or all of the recruitment function include:

Key Role of Technology — At Korn/Ferry, we are adding more discipline and scientific research into the recruitment and talent management process, with emphasis shifting from candidate identification to candidate assessment, fit and attraction. Driving this initiative is enhanced technology, as the power of the Internet, databases and online talent communities make it possible to efficiently identify greater numbers of qualified candidates. Innovative technology, when combined with world-class intellectual property and thought leadership, creates a compelling set of tools to manage the process of identifying, assessing and recruiting the most desirable candidates.

Other Industry Trends — In addition to the industry trends mentioned above, we believe the following factors will have a long-term positive impact on the talent management industry:

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Growth Strategy

Our objective is to expand our position as a premier global provider of talent management solutions. In order to meet this objective, we will continue to pursue five strategic initiatives:

1.    Drive an Integrated, Solutions-Based Go-to-Market Strategy

Differentiating Client Value Proposition — Korn/Ferry offers its clients a global, integrated, enterprise-wide talent management solution. To that end, we have made progress in helping clients more effectively and efficiently design strategies to assist clients in building and attracting their talent.

In analyzing talent management across the entire value chain, Korn/Ferry has developed a robust suite of offerings and leverages our market-leading position in executive recruitment to extend the value we bring our clients through our diversified capabilities along the rest of the talent lifecycle through our LTC and Futurestep service lines.

Our synergistic go-to-market strategy, utilizing all three of our service lines, is driving more integrated, scalable client relationships, while accelerating our evolution to a consultative solutions-based organization. This is evidenced by the fact that nearly 88% of our top 50 clients utilize at least two of our service lines.

We are an increasingly diversified enterprise in the world of human capital services and products, an industry, that according to Bain & Company, represents an estimated $380 billion global market opportunity.

In an effort to better coordinate global recruiting and to gain operational efficiencies, we expect that multinational clients increasingly will turn to strategic partners who can manage their recruitment needs on a centralized basis. This will require vendors with a global network of offices and technological support systems to manage multiple hires across geographical regions. We established our Premier Client Partnership (“PCP”) program to act as a catalyst for change as we transform our Company from individual operators to an integrated talent solutions provider, in an effort to drive major global and regional strategic account development as well as to provide a framework for all of our client development activities. Today, the PCP program consists of global colleagues from every line of business and geography. We are in the process of cascading this methodology throughout every market, country and office.

2.    Deliver Unparalleled Client Excellence

World-class Intellectual Property — Korn/Ferry continues to scale and more deeply embed our industry-leading intellectual property within the talent management processes of our global clients.

Our IP-driven Lominger tools and services are being utilized by our clients for everything from organizational development and job profiling to selection, training, individual and team development, succession planning and more. We have more than doubled the Lominger business since we acquired it in 2006. As a product-focused offering, Lominger helps us to generate long-term relationships with our clients. We continue to seek ways to scale the Lominger product offering to our global clients.

Global organizations utilizing our Company’s validated assessment capability are realizing the power and benefits of Korn/Ferry IP in their talent evaluation process. Our assessment capability, currently utilized by more than 70% of our clients, can improve executive retention and prospects of promotion. According to internal research conducted by Korn/Ferry over the period of 2006-2009, executive candidates placed in a position where our proprietary assessment methodology was utilized were eight times more likely to be promoted within the first three years of employment than those searches where our assessment tool was not employed.

Our IP orientation is further validated by our recent acquisitions of PDI and Global Novations. These firms offer a variety of leadership development, coaching and assessment solutions for different organizational levels, as well as technology-driven talent management solutions.

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Technology — Information technology is a critical element of all of our businesses. In fiscal 2013, we continued to invest in enhanced tools and knowledge management to gain competitive advantage. We introduced key enhancements to Searcher Express, our engagement execution platform and the cornerstone of the Company’s strategy to better share knowledge. We introduced iSearcher, an iOS mobile version that enables our consultants to conveniently manage their search assignments on their iPhone or iPad wherever they go, providing secure access to key information from the field. We launched a new initiative to consolidate regional databases to improve cross border collaboration and visibility of multinational engagements and clients. We have expanded our IT security team and enhanced our security infrastructure to protect the Company’s assets against today’s threats.

The technology supporting LTC continued to evolve in fiscal 2013 through the integration of Lominger’s intellectual property into our assessment and talent management services. We continued to build out our intellectual property platform, including enhancements to Lominger’s e-Suite, Voices^® 360 suite, Learning Agility tools, and library of e-books. Through the PDI acquisition, we acquired a sophisticated, cloud-based technology platform (PALMS) and a robust library of intellectual property. PALMS provides Korn/Ferry with the client-facing technology platform to launch all assessment activities, a centralized database to track and analyze all assessment data and an e-learning platform to launch interactive, simulation based learning modules. We are currently in the process of integrating PALMS across our entire LTC portfolio.

Information technology is a key driver of Futurestep’s growth in RPO, project recruitment and search. Database technology and the Internet have greatly improved capabilities in identifying, targeting and reaching potential candidates. In fiscal 2013, we continued the integration of advanced, Internet-based sourcing, assessment and selection technologies into the engagement workflow. We launched Foresight, a new data aggregation warehouse for analytical reporting of Futurestep recruiting activities across internal systems and external clients’ applicant tracking systems.

We are committed to investing in technology across all lines of business — extending the Company’s brand through integration with social networks — and delivering our unique intellectual property through smart phones and tablets. We released Forte, a mobile/desktop application for career development and transitions. It enables users to build a customized, personal development plan drawing on the ProSpective assessment and Lominger competencies.

We will continue to enhance our technology in order to strengthen our relationships with clients, expand our markets through new delivery channels and maintain a competitive advantage in offering the full range of executive talent management services.

3.    Extend and Elevate the Korn/Ferry Brand

Next to our people, the Korn/Ferry brand is the strongest asset of the Company. Since inception, Korn/Ferry has always maintained an aggressive stance in building our global presence and supporting our vision and ongoing growth through a comprehensive marketing approach. At the highest level, we will continue to extend and elevate the Korn/Ferry brand to raise awareness and drive higher market share within key segments.

Our leadership in executive recruitment enables us to grow our business by increasing the number of recruitment assignments we handle for existing clients. We also believe that our strong relationships and well-recognized brand name will enable us to bring a broader base of solutions and services to our existing client base and to potential new clients, while allowing us to build communities of candidates to whom we can directly market our services.

For example, we will leverage the work our Board & CEO Services practice performs at the top of our clients’ organizations to promote awareness of our various solutions at the highest levels. We believe these engagements will create significant “trickle-down” revenue opportunities across all of our lines of business and lead to the expansion of other high-level, consultative relationships within the board and CEO community. Additionally, we have developed and launched an in-depth and ongoing professional development program called The Edge for our consultants and client-facing practitioners to further train them on our strategy, our various solutions and a systematic approach for broadening the conversations, and subsequently, the relationships with our clients.

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4.    Advance Korn/Ferry as a Premier Career Destination

As our business strategy evolves, so should our talent strategy in order to drive the growth we need and the culture we want, at a pace we can absorb. Our talent strategy is what we do to allow us to design, build and attract the best talent for ourselves (and, by extension, for our clients) to achieve our business potential.

Our goal is to become the premier career destination for top talent through offering a client-focused culture, promotional/developmental opportunities and compensation that aligns employee behavior to corporate strategy.

5.    Pursue Transformational Opportunities Along the Broad Human Resources Spectrum

In addition to our heritage as a leading provider of executive recruitment, we also offer clients RPO, project recruitment, search and consulting services through Futurestep, and board effectiveness, CEO & top team effectiveness, diversity & inclusion, leadership development, organization transformation and integrated talent management services through LTC.

We will continue to develop and add new products and services that our clients demand and continue to pursue a disciplined acquisition strategy, both of which are consistent with our strategic goals.

Our Services and Organization

Organization

The Company operates in three global business segments: Executive Recruitment, LTC, and Futurestep. Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company disaggregated its previously reported business segment, Executive Recruitment, into two business segments Executive Recruitment and Leadership & Talent Consulting. Our executive recruitment business is managed on a geographic basis throughout our four regions: North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), Asia Pacific and South America. LTC and Futurestep are managed on a worldwide basis with operations in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and South America.

We address the global recruitment needs of our clients at all levels of management by offering the following services:

Executive Recruitment Services

Overview — Our executive recruitment services are typically used to fill executive-level positions, such as board directors, CEO, chief financial officers (“CFO”), chief operating officers (“COO”), chief information officers (“CIO”) and other senior executive officers. Once we are retained by a client to conduct a search, we assemble a team comprised of consultants with appropriate geographic, industry and functional expertise. Our search consultants serve as management advisors who work closely with the client in identifying, assessing and placing qualified candidates. In fiscal 2013, we executed 7,554 executive recruitment assignments.

We utilize a standardized approach to placing talent that integrates research with our practical experience. Providing a more complete view of the candidate than is otherwise possible, we believe our proprietary tools generate better results in identifying the right person for the position. We call our executive recruitment methodology The Korn/Ferry Advantage.

We emphasize a close working relationship with the client and a comprehensive understanding of the client’s business issues, strategy and culture, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the skills necessary to succeed within a client’s organization. Initially, the search team consults with the client to better understand its history, culture, structure, expectations, challenges, future direction and operations. In these meetings, the team identifies the specific needs of the client and develops a profile of an ideal candidate for the position using our proprietary Leadership Sort System, which allows clients to select the desired leadership characteristics for specific roles. Early in the process, the team also works with the client to develop the general parameters of a compensation package that will attract highly qualified candidates.

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Once the position is defined and outlined via an enhanced job specification that embodies the desired leadership characteristics, a research team identifies through the use of our proprietary databases and other information resources, companies in related industries facing similar issues and with operating characteristics similar to those of the client. In addition, the team consults with its established network of resources and searches our databases containing profiles of approximately five million executives to assist in identifying individuals with the right background, cultural fit and abilities. These sources are a critical element in assessing the marketplace.

An original list of candidates is carefully screened through phone interviews, video conferences and in-person meetings, using our proprietary behavioral interviewing approach. Candidates also complete Search Assessment^SM, a behavioral mapping tool that provides clients with insights into how candidates will lead, how they will approach and solve complex problems, what their emotional profile is likely to be and what motivates them to succeed. The client is then presented final qualified candidates to interview. We conduct due diligence and background verification of the candidate throughout the process, at times with the assistance of an independent third party.

The finalist for the position will usually meet with the client for a second and possibly a third round of discussions. At this point, the compensation package will have been discussed in detail, increasing the likelihood that an offer will be accepted. Throughout the process, ongoing communication with the client is critical to keep client management apprised of progress.

Industry Specialization — Consultants in our five global markets and one regional specialty practice groups bring an in-depth understanding of the market conditions and strategic management issues faced by clients within their specific industry and geography. We are continually looking to expand our specialized expertise through internal development and strategic hiring in targeted growth areas.

Percentage of Fiscal 2013 Assignments by Industry Specialization

Functional Expertise — We have organized executive recruitment centers of functional expertise, composed of consultants who have extensive backgrounds in placing executives in certain functions, such as board directors, CEOs and other senior executive officers. Our Board & CEO Services group, for example, focuses exclusively on placing CEOs and board directors in organizations around the world. This is a dedicated team from the most senior ranks of the Company. Their work is with CEOs and in the board room, and their expertise is organizational leadership and governance. They conduct hundreds of engagements every year, tapping talent from every corner of the globe. This work spans all ranges of organizational scale and purpose. Members of functional groups are located throughout our regions and across our industry groups.

Percentage of Fiscal 2013 Assignments by Functional Expertise

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Regions

North America — We opened our first office in Los Angeles in 1969 and currently have 19 offices throughout the United States and Canada. In fiscal 2013, the region generated fee revenue of $290.3 million from 3,119 assignments billed with an average of 196 consultants.

EMEA — We opened our first European office in London in 1972 and currently have 19 offices in 16 countries throughout the region. In fiscal 2013, the region generated fee revenue of $128.8 million from 2,246 assignments billed with an average of 114 consultants.

Asia Pacific — We opened our first Asia Pacific office in Tokyo in 1973 and currently have 17 offices in 10 countries throughout the region. In fiscal 2013, the region generated fee revenue of $73.2 million from 1,260 assignments billed with an average of 73 consultants.

South America — We opened our first South America office in Brazil in 1974. As of April 30, 2013, we operate a network of eight offices in seven countries covering the entire South American region. The region generated fee revenue of $30.2 million in fiscal 2013 from 929 assignments billed with an average of 18 consultants.

Mexico — We expanded our practice to Mexico through the 1977 acquisition of a less than 50% interest in a Mexico City company. We currently serve our clients needs in two offices in Mexico through a subsidiary in which we hold a minority interest. Our share of the net earnings from our Mexico subsidiary was $1.7 million for both the years ended April 30, 2013 and 2012, and is included in equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries on the consolidated statements of income.

Client Base — Our 5,228 clients include many of the world’s largest and most prestigious public and private companies, and 42% of FORTUNE 500 companies were clients in fiscal 2013. In fiscal 2013, only one single client represented more than 1% of fee revenue, with that client representing 1.3%.

Competition — Other multinational executive recruitment firms include Egon Zehnder International, Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., Russell Reynolds Associates and Spencer Stuart. Although these firms are our largest competitors, we also compete with smaller boutique firms that specialize in specific regional, industry or functional searches. We believe our brand name, differentiated business model, systematic approach to client service, cutting-edge technology, global network, prestigious clientele, strong specialty practices and high-caliber colleagues are recognized worldwide. We also believe our long-term incentive compensation arrangements, as well as other executive benefits, distinguish us from most of our competitors and are important in attracting and retaining our key consultants.

Leadership & Talent Consulting Services

We consolidated our strategic management assessment and executive coaching and development services under the name Leadership & Talent Consulting to more accurately reflect the array of solutions we now offer and to accommodate further growth. We have made significant investments in these service areas with the acquisitions of Lominger Limited, Inc., Lominger Consulting (“Lominger”), LeaderSource in fiscal 2007, Lore International in fiscal 2009, SENSA Solutions in fiscal 2010, and PDI and Global Novations in fiscal 2013. Our comprehensive blend of talent management offerings assists clients with the ongoing assessment and development of their senior executives and management teams and addresses six fundamental needs:

1.  Board effectiveness;

2.  CEO and top team effectiveness;

3.  Diversity and inclusion;

4.  Leadership development;

5.  Organization transformation; and

6.  Integrated talent management.

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Each of Korn/Ferry’s solutions is delivered by an experienced team of leadership consultants, a global network of top executive coaches and the intellectual property of research-based, time-tested leadership assessment and developmental tools. As of April 30, 2013, we had LTC operations in 15 cities in North America, 10 in Europe, 12 in Asia Pacific, and 5 in Latin America.

Client Base — During fiscal 2013, LTC partnered with 2,087 clients across the globe, including 42% of the FORTUNE 500.

Competition — Outside of the large talent management software players such as SAP and Oracle, this is a cottage industry with many small players. The main competitors include firms like Development Dimensions International, Center for Creative Leadership, Right Management, and SHL, a subsidiary of Corporate Executive Board. Although these firms are our largest competitors, we also compete with smaller boutique firms that specialize in specific regional, industry or functional aspects of talent management. We believe the strong leadership brands that comprise LTC offer a robust, research-based leadership and talent management content.

High-Impact Recruitment Solutions — Futurestep

Overview — Founded in 1998 as Korn/Ferry’s scalable, outsourced recruitment subsidiary, Futurestep offers clients a portfolio of talent acquisition solutions, including RPO, project recruitment, search and consulting. Each Futurestep engagement leverages a world-class global recruitment process and best-in-class technology to maximize and measure quality.

Futurestep combines traditional recruitment expertise with a multi-tiered portfolio of talent acquisition solutions. Futurestep consultants, based in 16 countries, have access to our databases of pre-screened, mid-level professionals. Our global candidate pool complements our international presence and multi-channel sourcing strategy to aid speed, efficiency and quality service for clients worldwide.

Futurestep RPO solutions are flexible and scalable, improving talent operations and delivering business impact for today’s large, complex and global organizations.

Project recruitment services offer a proven, outsourced approach for managing multiple hires within a specific timeframe.

In terms of search, Futurestep’s brand association with Korn/Ferry has helped us become regarded by today’s industry leaders as a trusted resource for securing management and specialized talent on a professional level.

Consulting services support clients with the wider aspects of the employee lifecycle including recruitment diagnostic, workforce planning, talent communication and employer brand, candidate assessment and selection and recruitment technology services. Aided by the consulting expertise of The Newman Group, acquired by Futurestep in fiscal 2008, Futurestep helps companies align people, processes and technology.

Regions — We opened our first Futurestep office in Los Angeles in May 1998. In January 2000, we acquired the Executive Search & Selection business of PA Consulting with operations in Europe and Asia Pacific. As of April 30, 2013, we had Futurestep operations in nine cities in North America, 10 in Europe, 11 in Asia Pacific, and one in Latin America.

Client Base — During fiscal 2013, Futurestep partnered with 1,052 clients across the globe and 32% of Futurestep’s fiscal 2013 fee revenue was referred from Korn/Ferry’s Executive Recruitment and LTC segments.

Competition — Futurestep primarily competes for business with other RPO providers such as Alexander Mann Solutions, Hays, Kenexa, Spherion, KellyOCG and The RightThing and competes for search assignments with regional contingency recruitment firms and large national retained recruitment firms.

For talent acquisition and management consulting services, Futurestep competes with boutique consulting providers such as HRchitect and Knowledge Infusion and larger consulting firms such as Accenture, Aon Hewitt and Towers Watson that are building businesses in human resource management consulting.

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Professional Staff and Employees

As of April 30, 2013, we had a total of 3,272 full-time employees. Of this, 1,471 were executive recruitment employees consisting of 399 consultants and 1,072 associates, researchers, administrative and support staff. In addition, there are 9 consultants in our unconsolidated Mexico office. LTC had 886 employees as of April 30, 2013, consisting of 133 consultants and 753 associates, researchers, administrative and support staff. Futurestep had 835 employees as of April 30, 2013, consisting of 75 consultants and 760 administrative and support staff. Corporate had 80 professionals at April 30, 2013. We are not party to a collective bargaining agreement and consider our relations with our employees to be good. Korn/Ferry is an equal opportunity employer.

In Executive Recruitment, senior associates, associates and researchers support the efforts of our consultants with candidate sourcing and identification, but do not generally lead assignments. These colleagues are developed through our training and professional development programs. Promotion to senior client partner is based on a variety of factors, including demonstrated superior execution and business development skills, the ability to identify solutions to complex issues, personal and professional ethics, a thorough understanding of the market and the ability to develop and help build effective teams. In addition, we have a program for recruiting experienced professionals into our Company.

The following table provides information relating to each of our business segments for fiscal 2013. Financial information regarding our business segments for fiscal 2012 and 2011 and additional information for fiscal 2013 is contained in Note 11 — Business Segments, in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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The following table provides information on fee revenues for each of the last three fiscal years attributable to the regions in which the Company operates:

Additional financial information regarding the regions in which the Company operates can be found in Note 11 — Business Segments, in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The risks described below are the material risks facing our Company. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks.

Competition in our industries could result in our losing market share and/or require us to charge lower prices for services, which could reduce our revenue.

We compete for executive recruitment business with numerous executive recruitment firms and businesses that provide job placement services, including other large global executive search firms, smaller specialty firms and web-based firms. Traditional executive recruitment competitors include Egon Zehnder International, Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., Russell Reynolds Associates and Spencer Stuart. In each of our markets, our competitors may possess greater resources, greater name recognition, lower overhead or other costs and longer operating histories than we do, which may give them an advantage in obtaining future clients, capitalizing on new technology and attracting qualified professionals in these markets. Additionally, specialty firms can focus on regional or functional markets or on particular industries and executive search firms that have a smaller client base may be subject to fewer off-limits arrangements. There are no extensive barriers to entry into the executive recruitment industry and new recruiting firms continue to enter the market. We believe the continuing development and increased availability of information technology will continue to attract new competitors, especially web-enabled professional and social networking website providers and these providers may be facilitating a company’s ability to insource their recruiting capabilities. As these providers continue to evolve, they may develop offerings similar to or more expansive than ours, thereby increasing competition for our services or more broadly causing disruption in the executive recruitment industry. The human resource consulting business has been traditionally fragmented and a number of large consulting firms, such as Accenture, Aon Hewitt and Towers Watson are building businesses in human resource management consulting to serve these needs. Increased competition, whether as a result of these professional and social networking website providers or traditional executive recruitment firms, may lead to pricing pressures that could negatively impact our business. For example, increased competition could require us to charge lower prices, and/or cause us to lose market share, each of which could reduce our fee revenue.

If we fail to attract and retain qualified and experienced consultants, our revenue could decline and our business could be harmed.

We compete with other executive recruitment and consulting firms for qualified and experienced consultants. These other firms may be able to offer greater compensation and benefits or more attractive lifestyle choices, career paths or geographic locations than we do. Attracting and retaining consultants in our industry is

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particularly important because, generally, a small number of consultants have primary responsibility for a client relationship. Because client responsibility is so concentrated, the loss of key consultants may lead to the loss of client relationships. In 2013, for example, our top three executive search consultants had primary responsibility for generating business equal to approximately 2% of our net revenues, and our top ten executive search consultants had primary responsibility for generating business equal to approximately 5% of our net revenues. This risk is heightened due to the general portability of a consultant’s business; consultants have in the past, and will in the future, terminate their employment with our Company. Any decrease in the quality of our reputation, reduction in our compensation levels relative to our peers or restructuring of our compensation program, whether as a result of insufficient revenue, a decline in the market price of our common stock or for any other reason, could impair our ability to retain existing consultants or attract additional qualified consultants with the requisite experience, skills and established client relationships. Our failure to retain our most productive consultants, whether in Executive Recruitment, LTC or Futurestep, or maintain the quality of service to which our clients are accustomed and the ability of a departing consultant to move business to his or her new employer could result in a loss of clients, which could in turn cause our fee revenue to decline and our business to be harmed. We may also lose clients if the departing executive search, LTC or Futurestep consultant has widespread name recognition or a reputation as a specialist in his or her line of business in a specific industry or management function. We could also lose additional consultants if they choose to join the departing executive search consultant at another executive search or consulting firm. If we fail to limit departing consultants from moving business or recruiting our consultants to a competitor, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Acquisitions may have an adverse effect on our business.

We have completed strategic acquisitions of businesses in the last several years, including our acquisition of PDI and Global Novations in fiscal 2013. While we may, under certain circumstances, pursue additional acquisitions in the future, we may not be able to consummate such acquisitions on satisfactory terms or integrate acquired businesses effectively and profitably into our existing operations. Our future success may depend in part on our ability to complete the integration of the acquisition target successfully into our operations. The process of integrating an acquired business, including that of PDI and Global Novations, may subject us to a number of risks, including:

If our acquisitions are not successfully integrated, our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our professional reputation, could be materially adversely affected.

Global economic developments and the conditions in the geographic regions and the industries from which we derive a significant portion of our fee revenue could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Demand for our services is affected by global economic conditions and the general level of economic activity in the geographic regions and industries in which we operate. When conditions in the global economy, including the

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credit markets, deteriorate, or economic activity slows, many companies hire fewer permanent employees and some companies, as a cost-saving measure, choose to rely on their own human resources departments rather than third-party search firms to find talent, which negatively affects our financial condition and results of operations, as evidenced by our results of operations for fiscal 2009 and fiscal 2010. We may also experience more competitive pricing pressure during periods of economic decline. During the recent economic downturn, our fee revenue significantly decreased from $790.6 million in fiscal 2008 to $572.4 million in fiscal 2010. While the economic activity in the regions and industries in which we operate has shown improvement, general market uncertainty continues to exist. If such uncertainty persists, if the national or global economy or credit market conditions in general deteriorate, or if the unemployment rate increases, such uncertainty or changes could put additional negative pressure on demand for our services and our pricing, resulting in lower cash flows and a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, some of our clients may experience reduced access to credit and lower revenues resulting in their inability to meet their payment obligations to us.

The continuing recession in the Euro zone and the instability of the Euro could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from our business in Europe. For the year ended April 30, 2013, approximately 10% of our revenues were derived from countries which use the Euro as their primary currency. The ongoing European financial crisis, coupled with the policy actions taken by the European central banks to support their financial system, have caused exchange rates to remain volatile. Concerns persist regarding several European countries’ sovereign debt obligations, the overall stability of the Euro, the continuing recession in the Euro zone economy and the health of the European banking system. In the event that these conditions persist, or worsen, the Company’s fee revenue and operating results would likely be adversely impacted until economic confidence is restored and the debt obligations, banking system and Euro are stabilized. If economic and financial market conditions in Europe remain uncertain or deteriorate further, our clients may respond by suspending, delaying or reducing their expenditures, which may adversely affect our cash flows and results of operations. In addition, if the conditions in Europe lead to disorderly bank failures it could adversely impact our bank accounts in affected countries.

If we are unable to retain our executive officers and key personnel, or integrate new members of our senior management who are critical to our business, we may not be able to successfully manage our business in the future.

Our future success depends upon the continued service of our executive officers and other key management personnel. Competition for qualified personnel is intense, and we may compete with other companies that have greater financial and other resources than we do. If we lose the services of one or more of our executives or key employees, or if one or more of them decides to join a competitor or otherwise compete directly or indirectly with us, or if we are unable to integrate new members of our senior management who are critical to our business, we may not be able to successfully manage our business or achieve our business objectives.

If we are unable to maintain our professional reputation and brand name, our business will be harmed.

We depend on our overall reputation and brand name recognition to secure new engagements and to hire qualified professionals. Our success also depends on the individual reputations of our professionals. We obtain a majority of our new engagements from existing clients or from referrals by those clients. Any client who is dissatisfied with our services can adversely affect our ability to secure new engagements.

If any factor, including poor performance or negative publicity, whether or not true, hurts our reputation, we may experience difficulties in competing successfully for both new engagements and qualified consultants. Failing to maintain our professional reputation and the goodwill associated with our brand name could seriously harm our business.

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We are subject to potential legal liability from clients, employees and candidates for employment. Insurance coverage may not be available to cover all of our potential liability and available coverage may not be sufficient to cover all claims that we may incur.

Our ability to obtain liability insurance, its coverage levels, deductibles and premiums are all dependent on market factors, our loss history and insurers’ perception of our overall risk profile. We are exposed to potential claims with respect to the executive recruitment process. For example, a client could assert a claim for matters such as breach of an off-limit agreement or recommending a candidate who subsequently proves to be unsuitable for the position filled. Further, the current employer of a candidate whom we placed could file a claim against us alleging interference with an employment contract, a candidate could assert an action against us for failure to maintain the confidentiality of the candidate’s employment search, and a candidate or employee could assert an action against us for alleged discrimination, violations of labor and employment law or other matters. Also, in various countries, we are subject to data protection laws impacting the processing of candidate information and other regulatory requirements.

Additionally, as part of our LTC services, we often send a team of leadership consultants to our client’s workplaces. Such consultants generally have access to client information systems and confidential information. An inherent risk of such activity includes possible claims of misuse or misappropriation of client intellectual property, confidential information, funds, or other property; harassment; criminal activity; torts; or other claims. Such claims may result in negative publicity, injunctive relief, criminal investigations and/or charges, payment by us of monetary damages or fines, or other material adverse effects on our business.

We cannot ensure that our insurance will cover all claims or that insurance coverage will be available at economically acceptable rates. Our insurance may also require us to meet a deductible. Significant uninsured liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely heavily on our information systems and if we lose that technology, or fail to further develop our technology, our business could be harmed.

Our success depends in large part upon our ability to store, retrieve, process, manage and protect substantial amounts of information. To achieve our strategic objectives and to remain competitive, we must continue to develop and enhance our information systems. This may require the acquisition of equipment and software and the development of new proprietary software, either internally or through independent consultants. If we are unable to design, develop, implement and utilize, in a cost-effective manner, information systems that provide the capabilities necessary for us to compete effectively, or for any reason any interruption or loss of our information processing capabilities occurs, this could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. Although we have disaster recovery procedures in place and insurance to protect against the effects of a disaster on our information technology, we cannot be sure that insurance or these services will continue to be available at reasonable prices, cover all our losses or compensate us for the possible loss of clients occurring during any period that we are unable to provide business services.

Cyber security vulnerabilities could lead to improper disclosure of information obtained from our clients, candidates and employees that could result in liability and harm our reputation.

We use information technology and other computer resources to carry out operational and marketing activities and to maintain our business records. The continued occurrence of high-profile data breaches against various entities and organizations provides evidence of an external environment increasingly hostile to information security. This environment demands that we continuously improve our design and coordination of security controls across our business groups and geographies in order to protect information that we develop or that is obtained from our clients, candidates and employees. Despite these efforts, our security controls over this information, our training of employees, and other practices we follow may not prevent the improper disclosure of such information. In fiscal 2013, we discovered that our computer network was the target of a criminal data breach that accessed certain such information obtained from our clients, candidates and employees. The information we collected about this breach suggests that the intrusion falls within the category of an “Advanced Persistent Threat,” which is activity consistent with state sponsored cyber criminals. Although this data breach was limited

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in scope, and as such, did not have a material adverse effect on our operations or financial reporting capabilities, future breaches of this nature as well as any other security breach or other misuse of our data could lead to improper disclosure of Company information, including information obtained from our clients, candidates and employees, that could harm our reputation, lead to legal exposure, divert management attention and resources, increase our operating expenses due to the employment of consultants and third party experts and the purchase of additional infrastructure, and/or subject us to liability, resulting in increased costs and loss of revenue. We depend on our overall reputation and brand name recognition to secure new engagements. Perceptions that we do not adequately protect the privacy of information could inhibit attaining new engagements and qualified consultants, and could potentially damage currently existing client relationships.

Limited protection of our intellectual property could harm our business, and we face the risk that our services or products may infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.

We cannot guarantee that trade secret, trademark and copyright law protections are adequate to deter misappropriation of our intellectual property (which has become an increasingly important part of our business). Existing laws of some countries in which we provide services or products may offer only limited protection of our intellectual property rights. Redressing infringements may consume significant management time and financial resources. Also, we may be unable to detect the unauthorized use of our intellectual property and take the necessary steps to enforce our rights, which may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We cannot be sure that our services and products, or the products of others that we offer to our clients, do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties, and we may have infringement claims asserted against us or our clients. These claims may harm our reputation, result in financial liability and prevent us from offering some services or products.

We have invested in specialized technology and other intellectual property for which we may fail to fully recover our investment or which may become obsolete.

We have invested in developing specialized technology and intellectual property, including proprietary systems, processes and methodologies, that we believe provide us a competitive advantage in serving our current clients and winning new engagements. Many of our service and product offerings rely on specialized technology or intellectual property that is subject to rapid change, and to the extent that this technology and intellectual property is rendered obsolete and of no further use to us or our clients, our ability to continue offering these services, and grow our revenues, could be adversely affected. There is no assurance that we will be able to develop new, innovative or improved technology or intellectual property or that our technology and intellectual property will effectively compete with the intellectual property developed by our competitors. If we are unable to develop new technology and intellectual property or if our competitors develop better technology or intellectual property, our revenues and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We face risks associated with social and political instability, legal requirements, economic conditions and currency fluctuations in our international operations.

We operate in 37 countries and during the year ended April 30, 2013, generated 49% of our fee revenue from operations outside of the United States. We are exposed to the risk of changes in social, political, legal and economic conditions inherent in international operations. Examples of risks inherent in transacting business worldwide that we are exposed to include:

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We have no hedging or similar foreign currency contracts and therefore, as described below, fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies could impact our global results of operations. We cannot ensure that one or more of these factors will not harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Foreign currency exchange rate risks may adversely affect our results of operations.

A material portion of our revenue and expenses are generated by our operations in foreign countries, and we expect that our foreign operations will account for a material portion of our revenue and expenses in the future. Most of our international expenses and revenue are denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, our financial results could be affected by factors, such as changes in foreign currency exchange rates or weak economic conditions in European and other foreign markets in which we have operations. Fluctuations in the value of those currencies in relation to the United States dollar have caused and will continue to cause dollar-translated amounts to vary from one period to another. Given the volatility of exchange rates, we may not be able to manage effectively our currency translation or transaction risks, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be limited in our ability to recruit employees from our clients and we could lose those opportunities to our competition, which could harm our business.

Either by agreement with clients, or for client relations or marketing purposes, we sometimes refrain from, for a specified period of time, recruiting candidates from a client when conducting searches on behalf of other clients. These off-limit agreements can generally remain in effect for up to two years following completion of an assignment. The duration and scope of the off-limit agreement, including whether it covers all operations of the client and its affiliates or only certain divisions of a client, generally are subject to negotiation or internal policies and may depend on factors such as the scope, size and complexity of the client’s business, the length of the client relationship and the frequency with which we have been engaged to perform executive searches for the client. If a prospective client believes that we are overly restricted by these off-limit agreements from recruiting employees of our existing clients, these prospective clients may not engage us to perform their executive searches. Therefore, our inability to recruit candidates from these clients may make it difficult for us to obtain search assignments from, or to fulfill search assignments for, other companies in that client’s industry. We cannot ensure that off-limit agreements will not impede our growth or our ability to attract and serve new clients, or otherwise harm our business.

Consolidation in the industries that we serve could harm our business.

Companies in the industries that we serve may seek to achieve economies of scale and other synergies by combining with or acquiring other companies. If two or more of our clients merge or consolidate and combine their operations, we may experience a decrease in the amount of services we perform for these clients. If one of

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our clients merges or consolidates with a company that relies on another provider for its services, we may lose work from that client or lose the opportunity to gain additional work. The increased market power of larger companies could also increase pricing and competitive pressures on us. Any of these possible results of industry consolidation could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We have provisions that make an acquisition of us more difficult and expensive.

Anti-takeover provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and under Delaware law make it more difficult and expensive for us to be acquired in a transaction that is not approved by our Board of Directors. Some of the provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include:

These provisions could discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction in which stockholders could receive a premium over the current market price for the common stock.

Unfavorable tax laws, tax law changes and tax authority rulings may adversely affect results.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and in various foreign jurisdictions. Domestic and international tax liabilities are subject to the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings among countries with differing statutory tax rates or changes in tax laws. The amount of income taxes and other taxes are subject to ongoing audits by United States federal, state and local tax authorities and by non-United States authorities. If these audits result in assessments different from estimated amounts recorded, future financial results may include unfavorable tax adjustments.

We have deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use under certain circumstances.

If we are unable to generate sufficient future taxable income in certain jurisdictions, or if there is a significant change in the time period within which the underlying temporary differences become taxable or deductible, we could be required to increase our valuation allowances against our deferred tax assets. This would result in an increase in our effective tax rate, and an adverse effect on our future operating results. In addition, changes in statutory tax rates may also change our deferred tax assets or liability balances, with either a favorable or unfavorable impact on our effective tax rate. Our deferred tax assets may also be impacted by new legislation or regulation.

An impairment in the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets could negatively impact our consolidated results of operations and net worth.

Goodwill is initially recorded as the excess of amounts paid over the fair value of net assets acquired. While goodwill is not amortized it is reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if impairment indicators are present. In assessing the carrying value of goodwill, we make qualitative and quantitative assumptions and estimates about revenues, operating margins, growth rates and discount rates based on our business plans, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows and marketplace data. There are inherent uncertainties related to these factors and management’s judgment in applying these factors. Goodwill valuations have been calculated using an income approach based on the present value of future cash flows of each reporting unit and a market approach. We could be required to evaluate the carrying value of goodwill prior to the annual assessment, if we experience unexpected significant declines in operating results or sustained market capitalization declines. These types of events and the resulting analyses could result in goodwill impairment charges in the future. Impairment charges could substantially affect our results of operations and net worth in the periods of such charges.

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We may not be able to align our cost structure with our revenue level.

We continuously evaluate our cost base in relation to projected near to mid-term demand for our services in an effort to align our cost structure with the current realities of our markets. If actual or projected fee revenue are negatively impacted by weakening customer demand, we may find it necessary to take cost cutting measures so that we can minimize the impact on our profitability. There is, however, no guarantee that if we do take such measures that such measures will properly align our cost structure to our revenue level. Any failure to maintain a balance between our cost structure and our revenue could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and lead to negative cash flows, which in turn might require us to obtain additional financing to meet our capital needs.

We may require additional capital in the future, which may not be available at all or may be available only on unfavorable terms.

Future adverse changes in the Company’s revenue could require us to institute cost cutting measures. To the extent our efforts are insufficient, we may incur negative cash flows. If such conditions persist over an extended period of time, it might require us to obtain financing to meet our capital needs. If we are unable to secure financing on favorable terms, or at all, our ability to fund our operations could be impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We invest in marketable securities classified as trading and available for sale and if the market value of these securities declines materially, they could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

Marketable securities consist of mutual funds and investments in corporate bonds, commercial paper and U.S. Treasury and agency securities. The primary objectives of the mutual funds are to meet the obligations under certain of our deferred compensation plans, while the other securities are available for general corporate purposes. If the financial markets in which these securities trade were to materially decline in value, the unrealized losses and potential realized losses could negatively impact the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

Our inability to successfully recover should we experience a disaster or other business continuity problem could cause material financial loss, loss of human capital, regulatory actions, reputational harm or legal liability.

Should we experience a disaster or other business continuity problem, such as an earthquake, hurricane, terrorist attack, pandemic, security breach, power loss, telecommunications failure or other natural or man-made disaster, our continued success will depend, in part, on the availability of our personnel, our office facilities, and the proper functioning of our computer, telecommunication and other related systems and operations. In such an event, we could experience near-term operational challenges with regard to particular areas of our operations. In particular, our ability to recover from any disaster or other business continuity problem will depend on our ability to protect our technology infrastructure against damage from business continuity events that could have a significant disruptive effect on our operations. We could potentially lose client data or experience material adverse interruptions to our operations or delivery of services to our clients in a disaster. We will continue to regularly assess and take steps to improve upon our business continuity plans. However, a disaster on a significant scale or affecting certain of our key operating areas within or across regions, or our inability to successfully recover should we experience a disaster or other business continuity problem, could materially interrupt our business operations and cause material financial loss, loss of human capital, regulatory actions, reputational harm, damaged client relationships or legal liability.

Changes in our accounting estimates and assumptions could negatively affect our financial position and results of operations.

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). These accounting principles require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the

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reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements. We are also required to make certain judgments that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We periodically evaluate our estimates and assumptions including those relating to revenue recognition, restructuring, deferred compensation, goodwill and other intangible assets, contingencies, annual performance related bonus, allowance for doubtful accounts, marketable securities, share-based payments and deferred income taxes. We base our estimates on historical experience and various assumptions that we believe to be reasonable based on specific circumstances. Actual results could differ from these estimates, and changes in accounting standards could have an adverse impact on our future financial position and results of operations.

Not applicable.

Our corporate office is located in Los Angeles, California. We lease all 87 of our Executive Recruitment, Leadership & Talent Consulting, and Futurestep offices located in North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific and South America. As of April 30, 2013, we leased an aggregate of approximately 902,770 square feet of office space. The leases generally are for terms of one to 13 years and contain customary terms and conditions. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current needs and we do not anticipate any difficulty replacing such facilities or locating additional facilities to accommodate any future growth.

On April 18, 2013, the Los Angeles Regional Office of the SEC formally notified the Company that it had completed its inquiry regarding the accounting for certain bonus and related accruals for the Company’s periodic reporting periods in fiscal 2009, 2010, and 2011 and that it did not intend to recommend any action be taken against the Company.

Not applicable.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

Our executive officers serve at the discretion of our Board of Directors. There is no family relationship between any executive officer or director. The following information sets forth the business experience for at least the past five years for each of our executive officers.

Gary D. Burnison has been President and Chief Executive Officer since July 2007. He was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from March 2002 until June 30, 2007 and Chief Operating Officer from November 2003 until June 30, 2007. Prior to joining Korn/Ferry, Mr. Burnison was Principal and Chief Financial Officer of Guidance Solutions, a privately held consulting firm, from 1999 to 2001. Prior to that, he served as an executive officer and a member of the board of directors of Jefferies and Company, an investment bank and brokerage firm, from 1995 to 1999. Earlier, Mr. Burnison was a partner at KPMG Peat Marwick.

Robert P. Rozek joined the Company in February 2012 as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Korn/Ferry, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., a privately held commercial real estate services firm, from June 2008 to February 2012.

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Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., Mr. Rozek served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp, a leading global developer of destination properties (integrated resorts) that feature premium accommodations, world-class gaming and entertainment, convention and exhibition facilities and many other amenities, from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Rozek held senior leadership positions at Eastman Kodak, and spent five years as a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

RJ Heckman was appointed President of Leadership and Talent Consulting in April 2013. He is responsible for driving the global growth of our Leadership and Talent Consulting services. From 2008 until he joined the Company he served as president and Chief Executive Officer of PDI. During that time, he led the acquisition and integration of Ninth House and positioned PDI to become the premier global leadership solutions organization. Prior to this role, he held key leadership positions at Honeywell and AT&T. Mr. Heckman has a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Tulsa.

Byrne Mulrooney joined the Company in April 2010 as Chief Executive Officer of Futurestep. Prior to joining Korn/Ferry, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Flynn Transportation Services, a third party logistics company, from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that, he led Spherion’s workforce solutions business in North America, which provides workforce solutions in professional services and general staffing, including recruitment process outsourcing and managed services, from 2003 to 2007. Mr. Mulrooney has held executive positions for almost 20 years at EDS and IBM in client services, sales, marketing and operations. Mr. Mulrooney is a graduate of Villanova University in Pennsylvania. He holds a master’s degree in management from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

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PART II.

Common Stock

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KFY”. The following table sets forth the high and low sales price per share of the common stock for the periods indicated, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange:

On June 18, 2013, the last reported sales price on the New York Stock Exchange for the Company’s common stock, was $18.04 per share and there were approximately 6,113 beneficial holders of the Company’s common stock.

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Performance Graph

We have presented below a graph comparing the cumulative total stockholder return on the Company’s shares with the cumulative total stockholder return on (1) the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index and (2) a company-established peer group. Cumulative total return for each of the periods shown in the performance graph is measured assuming an initial investment of $100 on April 30, 2008 and the reinvestment of any dividends paid by any company in the peer group on the date the dividends were declared.

In fiscal 2011, we established a new peer group, which the Company continues to use today, comprised of a broad number of publicly traded companies, which are principally or in significant part involved in either professional staffing or consulting. The peer group is comprised of the following 15 companies: CBIZ, Inc. (CBZ), FTI Consulting, Inc. (FCN), Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (HSII), Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN), ICF International, Inc. (ICFI), Insperity, Inc. (NSP), Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA), Kforce Inc. (KFRC), Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NCI), Resources Connection, Inc. (RECN), Robert Half International Inc. (RHI), The Corporate Executive Board Company (EXBD), The Dun & Bradsheet Corporation (DNB), Towers Watson & Co. (TW) and TrueBlue, Inc. (TBI). We believe this group of professional services firms, is more reflective of similar sized companies in terms of our market capitalization, revenue or profitability, and therefore provides a more meaningful comparison of stock performance. The returns of each company have been weighted according to their respective stock market capitalization at the beginning of each measurement period for purposes of arriving at a peer group average.

The stock price performance depicted in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance. This graph will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating this Form 10-K into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this information by reference, and shall not otherwise be deemed soliciting material or deemed filed under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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Copyright ^© 2013, Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. www.researchdatagroup.com/S&P.htm

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock since April 30, 1996, and we currently have no plans to pay any cash dividends on our common stock. The Board of Directors has authorized the Company to repurchase up to $50.0 million of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock pursuant to an issuer repurchase program. Since this program was approved on November 2, 2007 through April 30, 2013, we have repurchased approximately $25.6 million of the Company’s common stock under this program. Our future dividend policy as well as any decision to execute on our currently outstanding issuer repurchase program will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors. Our credit facility requires us to maintain $50 million in unrestricted cash and/or marketable securities (excluding any marketable securities that are held in trust for the settlement of the Company’s obligation under certain deferred compensation plans) as a condition to consummating permitted acquisitions, paying dividends to our shareholders and share repurchases of our common.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table summarizes common stock repurchased by us during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013:

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The following selected financial data are qualified by reference to, and should be read together with, our “Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The selected statement of income data set forth below for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2013, 2012 and 2011 and the selected balance sheet data as of April 30, 2013 and 2012 are derived from our consolidated financial statements, audited by Ernst & Young LLP, appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K. The selected balance sheet data as of April 30, 2011, 2010 and 2009 and the selected statement of operations data set forth below for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2010 and 2009 are derived from consolidated financial statements and notes thereto which are not included in this Form 10-K report and were audited by Ernst & Young LLP.

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Forward-looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain certain statements that we believe are, or may be considered to be, “forward-looking” statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of statements that include phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “may,” “will,” “likely,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals also are forward-looking statements. All of these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement. The principal risk factors that could cause actual performance and future actions to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, dependence on attracting and retaining qualified and experienced consultants, maintaining our brand name and professional reputation, potential legal liability and regulatory developments, portability of client relationships, global and local political or economic developments in or affecting countries where we have operations, currency fluctuations in our international operations, risks related to growth, restrictions imposed by off-limits agreements, competition, reliance on information processing systems, cyber security vulnerabilities, limited protection of our intellectual property, our ability to enhance and develop new technology, our ability to successfully recover from a disaster or business continuity problems, employment liability risk, an impairment in the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets, deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use, our ability to develop new products and services, changes in our accounting estimates and assumptions, alignment of our cost structure, risks related to the integration of recently acquired businesses and the matters disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the

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Company’s Exchange Act reports, including Item 1A included in this Annual Report. Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are made only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and we undertake no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

The following presentation of management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Executive Summary

Korn/Ferry International (referred to herein as the “Company,” “Korn/Ferry,” or in the first person notations “we,” “our,” and “us”) is a premier global provider of talent management solutions that helps clients design strategies to assist clients in building and attracting their talent. We are the premier provider of executive recruitment, leadership and talent consulting and talent acquisition solutions with the broadest global presence in the recruitment industry. Our services include Executive Recruitment, consulting and solutions services through Leadership & Talent Consulting (“LTC”) and recruitment for non-executive professionals and recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”) through Futurestep. Approximately 75% of the executive recruitment searches we performed in fiscal 2013 were for board level, chief executive and other senior executive and general management positions. Our 5,228 clients in fiscal 2013 included many of the world’s largest and most prestigious public and private companies, including approximately 42% of the FORTUNE 500, middle market and emerging growth companies, as well as government and nonprofit organizations. We have built strong client loyalty, with 81% of assignments performed during fiscal 2013 having been on behalf of clients for whom we had conducted assignments in the previous three fiscal years.

In an effort to maintain our long-term strategy of being the leading provider of talent management solutions, our strategic focus for fiscal 2014 centers upon enhancing the integration of our multi-service strategy. We plan to continue to address areas of increasing client demand including LTC and RPO. We further plan to explore new products and services, continue to pursue a disciplined acquisition strategy, enhance our technology and processes and aggressively leverage our brand through thought leadership and intellectual capital projects as a means of delivering world-class service to our clients. During fiscal 2013, nearly 88% of our top 50 clients utilized at least two of our service lines. During fiscal 2013, we completed the acquisitions of Minneapolis-based PDI Ninth House (“PDI”), a leading, globally-recognized provider of leadership assessment and development solutions and Global Novations, LLC, (“Global Novations”) a leading provider of diversity and inclusion and leadership development solutions (see Note 12 — Acquisitions for additional information regarding acquisitions completed during fiscal 2013). As a result of the uncertainties and challenges that continue to face the global economy and financial markets, we implemented a restructuring plan in fiscal 2013 in order to align our cost structure with anticipated revenue levels. The Company also implemented a restructuring plan focused on the integration synergies associated with the current year acquisitions. In fiscal 2013, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $22.8 million of which $16.3 million were for severance costs and $6.5 million in facility costs due to the consolidation and elimination of office space around the world.

As previously announced, beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company disaggregated its previously reported business segment, Executive Recruitment, into two business segments, Executive Recruitment and LTC. The Company now operates in three global business segments: Executive Recruitment, LTC and Futurestep. See Note 11 — Business Segments, in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion of the Company’s global business segments. Amounts reported for prior periods in this report have been reclassified to conform to the revised global business segments.

The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based on the chief operating decision maker’s review of (1) fee revenue and (2) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), which is further adjusted to exclude restructuring charges, transaction and integration costs, and certain separation costs (“Adjusted EBITDA”). EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. They have limitations as analytical tools, should not be viewed as substitutes for financial information determined in

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accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Management believes the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Korn/Ferry’s performance by excluding certain charges and other items that may not be indicative of Korn/Ferry’s ongoing operating results. The use of these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons to Korn/Ferry’s historical performance. Korn/Ferry includes these 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. The accounting policies for the reportable segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, except that the above noted items are excluded from adjusted EBITDA.

Fee revenue increased $22.3 million, or 3% (3% decrease excluding fee revenue from the recently acquired PDI and Global Novations) in fiscal 2013 to $812.8 million compared to $790.5 million in fiscal 2012, with increases in fee revenue in Futurestep and LTC, offset by decreases in fee revenue in all regions of Executive Recruitment. During fiscal 2013, we recorded operating income of $43.9 million with Executive Recruitment, LTC, and Futurestep segments contributing $81.0 million, $6.4 million, and $11.0 million, respectively, offset by corporate expenses of $54.5 million. Net income for fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012 was $33.3 million and $54.3 million, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA was $97.8 million with Executive Recruitment, LTC, and Futurestep segments contributing $99.9 million, $22.6 million, and $15.7 million, respectively, offset by corporate expenses of $40.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA decreased $3.5 million in fiscal 2013, from adjusted EBITDA of $101.3 million in fiscal 2012.

Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities decreased $51.7 million, or 12%, to $366.0 million at April 30, 2013 compared to $417.7 million at April 30, 2012, mainly due to bonuses earned in fiscal 2012 and paid during the first quarter of fiscal 2013 and the purchase price paid as a result of the acquisitions of Global Novations and PDI during fiscal 2013, partially offset by cash provided by operating activities. As of April 30, 2013, we held marketable securities to settle obligations under our Executive Capital Accumulation Plan (“ECAP”) with a cost value of $94.9 million and a fair value of $98.0 million. Our obligations for which these assets were held in trust totaled $99.2 million as of April 30, 2013. Our working capital decreased by $99.8 million to $178.5 million in fiscal 2013. We believe that cash on hand and funds from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate requirements in the next twelve months. We had no long-term debt or any outstanding borrowings under our credit facility at April 30, 2013 or 2012. We are required to maintain $2.9 million of restricted cash to provide collateral for the standby letters of credit associated with certain lease premises. As of April 30, 2013 and 2012, we had $2.7 million and $2.9 million, respectively, of standby letters of credit issued under our previous credit facility.

Critical Accounting Policies

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements. Preparation of our periodic filings requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions and changes in the estimates are reported in current operations as new information is learned or upon the amounts becoming fixed and determinable. In preparing our consolidated financial statements and accounting for the underlying transactions and balances, we apply our accounting policies as disclosed in the notes to our consolidated financial statements. We consider the policies discussed below as critical to an understanding of our consolidated financial statements because their application places the most significant demands on management’s judgment and estimates. Specific risks for these critical accounting policies are described in the following paragraphs. Senior management has discussed the development and selection of the critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

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Revenue Recognition.    Management is required to establish policies and procedures to ensure that revenue is recorded over the performance period for valid engagements and related costs are matched against such revenue. We provide professional services related to executive recruitment activities and recruitment for non-executive professionals, on a retained basis, recruitment process outsourcing and leadership & talent consulting services. For executive recruitment activities and recruitment for non-executive professionals we generally recognize revenue in three monthly installments commencing the month of client acceptance as this is the period over which the recruitment services are performed. Fees earned in excess of the initial contract amount are recognized upon completion of the engagement, which reflect the difference between the final actual compensation of the placed executive and the estimate used for purposes of the previous billings. Since the fees are generally not contingent upon placement of a candidate, our assumptions primarily relate to establishing the period over which such service is performed. These assumptions determine the timing of revenue recognition and profitability for the reported period. If these assumptions do not accurately reflect the period over which revenue is earned, revenue and profit could differ. Any services that are provided on a contingent basis are recognized once the contingency is fulfilled. In addition to recruitment for non-executive professionals, Futurestep provides recruitment process outsourcing services and fee revenue is recognized as services are rendered. Fee revenue from LTC services is recognized as services are rendered for consulting engagements and other time based services, measured by total hours incurred to the total estimated hours at completion. It is possible that updated estimates for the consulting engagement may vary from initial estimates with such updates being recognized in the period of determination. LTC revenue is also derived from the sale of solution services, which includes revenue from licenses and the sale of products. Revenue from licenses is recognized using a straight-line method over the term of the contract (generally 12 months), which begins upon execution and is invoiced in the same month. Products sold by the Company mainly consist of books covering a variety of topics including performance management, team effectiveness, and coaching and development. The Company recognizes revenue for its products when the product has been sold. Furthermore, a provision for doubtful accounts on recognized revenue is established with a charge to general and administrative expenses based on historical loss experience, assessment of the collectability of specific accounts, as well as expectations of future collections based upon trends and the type of work for which services are rendered.

Annual Performance Related Bonuses.    Each quarter, management records its best estimate of its annual performance related bonuses, which requires management to, among other things, project annual consultant (employees who originate business) productivity (as measured by engagement fees billed and collected by executive search consultants and revenue for LTC and Futurestep consultants), Company performance including profitability, competitive forces and future economic conditions impact our results. At the end of each fiscal year, annual performance related bonuses take into account final individual consultant productivity, Company results including profitability, the achievement of strategic objectives and the results of individual performance appraisals, and the current economic landscape. Management takes these factors into consideration, and any changes in the estimate are reported in current operations. Because annual performance-based bonuses are communicated and paid only after the Company reports its full fiscal year results, actual performance-based bonus payments may differ from the prior year’s estimate. Such changes in the bonus estimates historically have been immaterial and are recorded in current operations in the period in which they are determined.

Deferred Compensation.    Estimating deferred compensation requires assumptions regarding the timing and probability of payments of benefits to participants and the discount rate. Changes in these assumptions would significantly impact the liability and related cost on our consolidated balance sheet and statement of income. Management engages an independent actuary to periodically review these assumptions in order to ensure that they reflect the population and economics of our deferred compensation plans in all material respects and to assist us in estimating our deferred compensation liability and the related cost. The actuarial assumptions we use may differ from actual results due to changing market conditions or changes in the participant population. These differences could have a significant impact on our deferred compensation liability and the related cost.

Carrying Values.    Valuations are required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) to determine the carrying value of various assets. Our most significant assets for which management is required to prepare valuations are carrying value of receivables, marketable securities, goodwill, intangible assets, fair value of contingent consideration, and recoverability of deferred income taxes. Management must identify

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whether events have occurred that may impact the carrying value of these assets and make assumptions regarding future events, such as cash flows and profitability. Differences between the assumptions used to prepare these valuations and actual results could materially impact the carrying amount of these assets and our operating results.

Of the assets mentioned above, goodwill is the largest asset requiring a valuation. Fair value of goodwill for purposes of the goodwill impairment test is determined utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis based on forecast cash flows (including estimated underlying revenue and operating income growth rates) discounted using an estimated weighted-average cost of capital for market participants. A market approach, utilizing observable market data such as comparable companies in similar lines of business that are publicly traded or which are part of a public or private transaction (to the extent available), is used to corroborate the discounted cash flow analysis performed at each reporting unit. The Company also reconciles the results of these analyses to its market capitalization. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, goodwill is considered potentially impaired and further tests are performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. We recorded no goodwill impairments in conjunction with our annual goodwill impairment assessment performed as of January 31, 2013. While historical performance and current expectations have resulted in fair values of goodwill in excess of carrying values, if our assumptions are not realized, it is possible that in the future an impairment charge may need to be recorded. However, it is not possible at this time to determine if an impairment charge would result or if such a charge would be material. Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions and factors. As a result, there can be no assurance that the estimates and assumptions made for purposes of the annual goodwill impairment test will prove to be accurate predictions of the future. As of our testing date, the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and none of the reporting units were considered at risk. As a result, no impairment charge was recognized. There was also no indication of impairment during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013.

Examples of events or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to negatively affect the underlying key assumptions and ultimately impact the estimated fair value of the reporting units may include such items as follows:

Results of Operations

The following table summarizes the results of our operations as a percentage of fee revenue:

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The following tables summarize the results of our operations by business segment: