KORN FERRY - Quarter Report: 2015 July (Form 10-Q)

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended July 31, 2015

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission File Number 001-14505

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2600, Los Angeles, California 90067

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

(310) 552-1834

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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 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. (Check one):

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 September 1, 2015 was 51,201,229 shares.

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

1

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

2

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

3

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

4

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

July 31, 2015

1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Korn/Ferry International, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its subsidiaries are engaged in the business of providing talent management solutions, including executive recruitment on a retained basis, recruitment for non-executive professionals, recruitment process outsourcing and leadership & talent consulting services. The Company’s worldwide network of 78 offices in 37 countries enables it to meet the needs of its clients in all industries.

Basis of Consolidation and Presentation

The accompanying financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2015 for the Company and its wholly and majority owned/controlled domestic and international subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements conform with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and prevailing practice within the industry. The consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals and any other adjustments that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the results for these periods. The results of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year.

Investments in affiliated companies, which are 50% or less owned and where the Company exercises significant influence over operations, are accounted for using the equity method.

The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the consolidated financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosures.

Use of Estimates and Uncertainties

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates, and changes in estimates are reported in current operations as new information is learned or upon the amounts becoming fixed and determinable. The most significant areas that require management judgment are revenue recognition, restructuring, deferred compensation, annual performance related bonuses, evaluation of the carrying value of receivables, goodwill and other intangible assets, fair value of contingent consideration, share-based payments and the recoverability of deferred income taxes.

Revenue Recognition

Substantially all fee revenue is derived from fees for professional services related to executive recruitment performed on a retained basis, recruitment for non-executive professionals, recruitment process outsourcing and leadership & talent consulting services. Fee revenue from executive recruitment activities and recruitment for non-executive professionals is generally one-third of the estimated first year cash compensation of the placed executive or non-executive professional, as applicable, plus a percentage of the fee to cover indirect engagement related expenses. The Company generally recognizes such revenue on a straight-line basis over a three-month period, commencing upon 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 initial contract fees are typically 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. Any revenues associated with services that are provided on a contingent basis are recognized once the contingency is resolved. In addition to recruitment for non-executive professionals, Futurestep provides recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”) services and fee revenue is recognized as services are rendered and/or as milestones are achieved. Fee revenue from Leadership & Talent Consulting (“LTC”) services is recognized as services are rendered for consulting engagements and other time based

5

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

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. Depending on the timing of billings and services rendered, the Company accrues or defers revenue as appropriate. LTC revenue is also derived from the sale of solution services, which includes revenue from licenses and from the sale of products. Revenue from licenses is recognized using a straight-line method over the term of the contract (generally 12 months). Under the fixed term licenses, the Company is obligated to provide the licensee with access to any updates to the underlying intellectual property that are made by the Company during the term of the license. Once the term of the agreement expires, the client’s right to access or use the intellectual property expires and the Company has no further obligations to the client under the license agreement. Revenue from perpetual licenses is recognized when the license is sold since the Company’s only obligation is to provide the client access to the intellectual property but is not obligated to provide maintenance, support, updates or upgrades. Products sold by the Company mainly consist of books and automated services 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 or shipped in the case of books. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company included deferred revenue of $39.5 million and $40.5 million, respectively, in other accrued liabilities.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

An allowance is established for doubtful accounts by taking a charge to general and administrative expenses. The amount of the allowance is 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. After the Company exhausts all collection efforts, the amount of the allowance is reduced for balances identified as uncollectible.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company’s investments in cash equivalents, consist of money market funds for which market prices are readily available. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company had cash equivalents of $168.8 million and $260.6 million, respectively.

Marketable Securities

The Company currently has investments in marketable securities and mutual funds which are classified as either trading securities or available-for-sale, based upon management’s intent and ability to hold, sell or trade such securities. The classification of the investments in these marketable securities and mutual funds is assessed upon purchase and reassessed at each reporting period. These investments are recorded at fair value and are classified as marketable securities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The investments that the Company may sell within the next twelve months are carried as current assets. Realized gains (losses) on marketable securities are determined by specific identification. Interest is recognized on an accrual basis, dividends are recorded as earned on the ex-dividend date. Interest and dividend income are recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of income in interest expense, net.

The Company invests in mutual funds (for which market prices are readily available) that are held in trust to satisfy obligations under the Company’s deferred compensation plans (see Note 5 — Marketable Securities) and are classified as trading securities. Such investments are based upon the employees’ investment elections in their deemed accounts in the Executive Capital Accumulation Plan and similar plans in Asia Pacific and Canada (“ECAP”) from a pre-determined set of securities and the Company invests in marketable securities to mirror these elections. The changes in fair value in trading securities are recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of income in other (loss) income, net.

The Company also invests cash in excess of its daily operating requirements and capital needs primarily in marketable fixed income (debt) securities in accordance with the Company’s investment policy, which restricts the type of investments that can be made. The Company’s investment portfolio includes corporate bonds. These marketable fixed income (debt) securities are classified as available-for-sale securities based on management’s decision, at the date such securities are acquired, not to hold these securities to maturity or actively trade them. The Company carries these marketable debt securities at fair value based on the market prices for these marketable debt securities or similar debt securities whose prices are readily available. The changes in fair values, net of applicable taxes, are recorded as unrealized gains or losses as a

6

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

component of comprehensive income. When, in the opinion of management, a decline in the fair value of an investment below its amortized cost is considered to be “other-than-temporary,” a credit loss is recorded in the statement of income in other (loss) income, net; any amount in excess of the credit loss is recorded as unrealized gains or losses as a component of comprehensive income. Generally, the amount of the loss is the difference between the cost or amortized cost and its then current fair value; a credit loss is the difference between the discounted expected future cash flows to be collected from the debt security and the cost or amortized cost of the debt security. The determination of the other-than-temporary decline includes, in addition to other relevant factors, a presumption that if the market value is below cost by a significant amount for a period of time, a write-down may be necessary. During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, no other-than-temporary impairment was recognized.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is the price the Company would receive to sell an asset or transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants. For those assets and liabilities recorded or disclosed at fair value, the Company determines the fair value based upon the quoted market price, if available. If a quoted market price is not available for identical assets, the fair value is based upon the quoted market price of similar assets. The fair values are assigned a level within the fair value hierarchy as defined below:

As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company held certain assets that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. These included cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable and marketable securities. The carrying amount of cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable approximates fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments. The fair values of marketable securities classified as trading are obtained from quoted market prices, and the fair values of marketable securities classified as available-for-sale are obtained from a third party, which are based on quoted prices or market prices for similar assets.

Business Acquisitions

Business acquisitions are accounted for under the acquisition method. The acquisition method requires the reporting entity to identify the acquirer, determine the acquisition date, recognize and measure the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest in the acquired entity, and recognize and measure goodwill or a gain from the purchase. The acquiree’s results are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair values and the excess of the purchase price over the amounts assigned is recorded as goodwill, or if the fair value of the assets acquired exceeds the purchase price consideration, a bargain purchase gain is recorded. Adjustments to fair value assessments are generally recorded to goodwill over the measurement period (not longer than twelve months). The acquisition method also requires that acquisition-related transaction and post-acquisition restructuring costs be charged to expense as committed, and requires the Company to recognize and measure certain assets and liabilities including those arising from contingencies and contingent consideration in a business combination.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired. The goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill of the reporting unit would be considered impaired. To measure the amount of the impairment loss, the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill is compared to the carrying amount of that goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined in the same manner as the amount of goodwill recognized in a

7

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

business combination. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit’s goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. For each of these tests, the fair value of each of the Company’s reporting units is determined using a combination of valuation techniques, including a discounted cash flow methodology. To corroborate the discounted cash flow analysis performed at each reporting unit, a market approach is utilized using 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). Results of the annual impairment test performed as of January 31, 2015, indicated that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and no reporting units were at risk of failing the impairment test. As a result, no impairment charge was recognized. There were no indicators of impairment as of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015 that would have required further testing.

Intangible assets primarily consist of customer lists, non-compete agreements, proprietary databases, intellectual property and trademarks and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition and are amortized in a pattern in which the asset is consumed if that pattern can be reliably determined, or using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives which range from one to 24 years. For intangible assets subject to amortization, an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the intangible assets is not recoverable and exceeds fair value. The carrying amount of the intangible assets is considered not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from use of the asset. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but are reviewed annually for impairment or more frequently whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of the asset may be less than its carrying amount. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, there were no indicators of impairment with respect to the Company’s intangible assets.

Compensation and Benefits Expense

Compensation and benefits expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of income consist of compensation and benefits paid to consultants (employees who originate business), executive officers and administrative and support personnel. The most significant portions of this expense are salaries and the amounts paid under the annual performance related bonus plan to employees. The portion of the expense applicable to salaries is comprised of amounts earned by employees during a reporting period. The portion of the expenses applicable to annual performance related bonuses refers to the Company’s annual employee performance related bonus with respect to a fiscal year, the amount of which is communicated and paid to each eligible employee following the completion of the fiscal year.

Each quarter, management makes its best estimate of its annual performance related bonuses, which requires management to, among other things, project annual consultant productivity (as measured by engagement fees billed and collected by executive search consultants and revenue and other performance metrics for LTC and Futurestep consultants), the level of engagements referred by a fee earner in one line of business to a different line of business, Company performance including profitability, competitive forces and future economic conditions and their impact on the Company’s results. At the end of each fiscal year, annual performance related bonuses take into account final individual consultant productivity (including referred work), Company results including profitability, the achievement of strategic objectives and the results of individual performance appraisals, and the current economic landscape. Accordingly, each quarter the Company reevaluates the assumptions used to estimate annual performance related bonus liability and adjusts the carrying amount of the liability recorded on the consolidated balance sheet and reports any changes in the estimate 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 estimate historically have been immaterial and are recorded in current operations in the period in which they are determined. The performance related bonus expense was $42.4 million and $39.0 million for the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which was reduced by a change in the previous years’ estimate recorded in the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, of $0.6 million and $0.3 million, respectively. This resulted in net bonus expense of $41.8 million and $38.7 million in the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, included in compensation and benefits expense in the consolidated statements of income.

Other expenses included in compensation and benefits expense are due to changes in deferred compensation and pension plan liabilities, changes in cash surrender value (“CSV”) of company owned life insurance (“COLI”) contracts, amortization of stock compensation awards, payroll taxes and employee insurance benefits.

8

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

Restructuring Charges, Net

The Company accounts for its restructuring charges as a liability when the obligations are incurred and records such charges at fair value. Changes in the estimates of the restructuring charges are recorded in the period the change is determined.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has employee compensation plans under which various types of stock-based instruments are granted. These instruments principally include restricted stock units, restricted stock, stock options and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). The Company recognizes compensation expense related to restricted stock units, restricted stock and the estimated fair value of stock options and stock purchase under the ESPP on a straight-line basis over the service period for the entire award.

Recently Proposed Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance that supersedes revenue recognition requirements regarding contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. Under the new guidance, entities are required to recognize revenue in order to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step analysis to be performed on transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. In July 2015, the FASB decided to approve a one-year deferral of the effective date as well as providing an option to early adopt the standard on the original effective date. This new guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those annual years beginning after December 15, 2017 as opposed to the original effective date of December 15, 2016. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the guidance will have on our financial condition and results of operations.

2. Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share

Accounting Standards Codification 260, Earnings Per Share, requires companies to treat unvested share-based payment awards that have non-forfeitable rights to dividends prior to vesting as a separate class of securities in calculating earnings per share. We have granted and expect to continue to grant to certain employees restricted stock grants that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends. Such grants are considered participating securities. Therefore, we are required to apply the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. The two-class method of computing earnings per share is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for each class of common stock and participating security according to dividends declared (or accumulated) and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The dilutive effect of participating securities is calculated using the more dilutive of the treasury method or the two-class method.

Basic earnings per common share was computed using the two-class method by dividing basic net earnings attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share was computed using the two-class method by dividing diluted net earnings attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus dilutive common equivalent shares. Dilutive common equivalent shares include all in-the-money outstanding options or other contracts to issue common stock as if they were exercised or converted. The application of the two-class method did not have a material impact on the earnings per share calculation for the three months ended July 31, 2014.

During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, all shares of outstanding options were included in the computation of diluted earnings per share. During the three months ended July 31, 2015, restricted stock awards of 0.5 million, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because they were anti-dilutive.

9

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

The following table summarizes basic and diluted earnings per common share attributable to common stockholders:

3. Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income is comprised of net income and all changes to stockholders’ equity, except those changes resulting from investments by stockholders (changes in paid in capital) and distributions to stockholders (dividends) and is reported in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes, is recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity.

The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss were as follows:

The following table summarizes the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended July 31, 2015:

10

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

The following table summarizes the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended July 31, 2014:

4. Employee Stock Plans

Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes the components of stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of income for the periods indicated:

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option valuation model to estimate the grant date fair value of employee stock options. The expected volatility reflects consideration of the historical volatility in the Company’s publicly traded stock during the period the option is granted. The Company believes historical volatility in these instruments is more indicative of expected future volatility than the implied volatility in the price of the Company’s common stock. The expected life of each option is estimated using historical data. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issue with a remaining term approximating the expected term of the option. The Company uses historical data to estimate forfeiture rates applied to the gross amount of expense determined using the option valuation model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options. The assumptions used in option valuation models are highly subjective, particularly the expected stock price volatility of the underlying stock. The Company did not grant stock options in the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014.

Stock Incentive Plans

At the Company’s 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, held on September 27, 2012, the Company’s stockholders approved an amendment and restatement to the Korn/Ferry International Amended and Restated 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the 2012 amendment and restatement being the “Second A&R 2008 Plan”), which among other things, increased the current maximum number of shares that may be issued under the plan to 5,700,000 shares, subject to certain changes in the Company’s capital structure and other extraordinary events. The Second A&R 2008 Plan provides for the grant of awards to eligible participants, designated as either nonqualified or incentive stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units, any of which may be performance-based or market-based, and incentive bonuses, which may be paid in cash or a combination thereof. Under the Second A&R 2008 Plan, the ability to issue full-value awards is limited by requiring full-value stock awards to count 1.91 times as much as stock options.

11

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

Stock Options

Stock option transactions under the Company’s Second A&R 2008 Plan were as follows:

Additional information pertaining to stock options:

Restricted Stock

The Company grants time-based restricted stock awards to executive officers and other senior employees generally vesting over a three to four year period. In addition, certain key management members typically receive time-based restricted stock awards upon commencement of employment and may receive them annually in conjunction with the Company’s performance review. Time-based restricted stock awards are granted at a price equal to fair value, which is determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The Company recognizes compensation expense for time-based restricted stock awards on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

The Company also grants market-based and performance-based restricted stock units to executive officers and other senior employees. The market-based units vest after three years depending upon the Company’s total stockholder return over the three-year performance period relative to other companies in its selected peer group. The fair value of these market-based restricted stock units are determined by a third-party valuation using extensive market data that are based on historical Company and peer group information. The Company recognizes compensation expense for market-based restricted stock units on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

Performance-based restricted stock units vest after three years depending upon the Company meeting certain objectives that are set at the time the restricted stock unit is issued. Performance-based restricted stock units are granted at a price equal to the fair value, which is determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The Company recognizes compensation expense for performance-based restricted stock units on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. At the end of each reporting period, the Company estimates the number of restricted stock units expected to vest, based on the probability that certain performance objectives will be met, exceeded, or fall below target levels, and takes into account these estimates when calculating the expense for the period.

12

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

Restricted stock activity during the three months ended July 31, 2015 is summarized below:

As of July 31, 2015, there were 0.3 million shares and 0.2 million shares outstanding relating to market-based and performance-based restricted stock units, respectively, with total unrecognized compensation totaling $7.8 million and $1.9 million, respectively.

As of July 31, 2015, there was $31.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to all non-vested awards of restricted stock, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years. During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, 188,104 shares and 125,421 shares of restricted stock totaling $6.6 million and $3.7 million, respectively, were repurchased by the Company, at the option of the employee, to pay for taxes related to vesting of restricted stock.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The Company has an ESPP that, in accordance with Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code, allows eligible employees to authorize payroll deductions of up to 15% of their salary to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at 85% of the fair market price of the common stock on the last day of the enrollment period. Employees may not purchase more than $25,000 in stock during any calendar year. The maximum number of shares that may be issued under the ESPP is 3.0 million shares. The ESPP was suspended during the second half of fiscal 2012 and as a result, no shares were purchased during the three months ended July 31, 2014. On January 1, 2015, the Company once again allowed employees to participate in the ESPP. During the three months ended July 31, 2015, employees purchased 44,334 shares at $29.55 per share. As of July 31, 2015, the ESPP had approximately 1.6 million shares remaining available for future issuance.

Common Stock

During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company issued 71,428 shares and 85,321 shares of common stock, respectively, as a result of the exercise of stock options, with cash proceeds from the exercise of $1.1 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

No shares were repurchased during the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, other than to satisfy minimum tax withholding requirements upon the vesting of restricted stock as described above.

13

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

5. Marketable Securities

As of July 31, 2015, marketable securities consisted of the following:

As of April 30, 2015, marketable securities consisted of the following:

The amortized cost and fair values of marketable securities classified as available-for-sale investments were as follows:

14

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

Investments in marketable securities classified as available-for-sale securities are made based on the Company’s investment policy, which restricts the types of investments that can be made. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, marketable securities classified as available-for-sale consist of corporate bonds for which market prices for similar assets are readily available. As of July 31, 2015, available-for-sale marketable securities have remaining maturities ranging from two to five months. During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company received $3.0 million and $2.0 million, respectively, in proceeds from maturities of available-for-sale marketable securities. Investments in marketable securities classified as trading are based upon investment selections the employee elects from a pre-determined set of securities in the ECAP and the Company invests in marketable securities to mirror these elections. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company’s investments in marketable securities classified as trading consist of mutual funds for which market prices are readily available.

As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company’s marketable securities classified as trading were $127.8 million (net of gross unrealized gains of $8.0 million and $0.6 million of gross unrealized losses) and $131.4 million (net of gross unrealized gains of $8.3 million and $0.2 million of gross unrealized losses), respectively.

6. Deferred Compensation and Retirement Plans

The Company has several deferred compensation and retirement plans for eligible consultants and vice presidents that provide defined benefits to participants based on the deferral of current compensation or contributions made by the Company subject to vesting and retirement or termination provisions. In June 2003, the Company amended the deferred compensation plans, with the exception of the ECAP and international retirement plans, so as not to allow new participants or the purchase of additional deferral units by existing participants.

The components of net periodic benefit costs are as follows:

The Company purchased COLI contracts insuring the lives of certain employees eligible to participate in the deferred compensation and pension plans as a means of funding benefits under such plans. The gross CSV of these contracts of $173.6 million and $172.3 million is offset by outstanding policy loans of $68.5 million and $69.6 million in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, respectively. The CSV value of the underlying COLI investments increased by $2.5 million and $3.3 million during the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, recorded as a decrease in compensation and benefits expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of income.

The Company has an ECAP, which is intended to provide certain employees an opportunity to defer salary and/or bonus on a pre-tax basis or make an after-tax contribution. In addition, the Company, as part of its compensation philosophy, makes discretionary contributions into the ECAP and such contributions may be granted to key employees annually based upon employee performance. Certain key management may also receive Company ECAP contributions upon commencement of employment. The Company made contributions to the ECAP during the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014 of $2.0 million and $1.2 million, respectively. The Company expects to contribute an additional $20.0 million during the remainder of fiscal 2016. As these contributions vest, the amounts are recorded as a liability in deferred compensation and other retirement plans on the accompanying balance sheet and compensation and benefits on the accompanying consolidated statement of income. Participants generally vest in Company contributions over a four year period.

The ECAP is accounted for whereby the changes in the fair value of the vested amounts owed to the participants are adjusted with a corresponding charge (or credit) to compensation and benefits costs. During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, deferred compensation liability increased; therefore, the Company recognized in compensation expense $0.7 million and $1.7 million, respectively. Offsetting these increases in compensation and benefits expense was an increase in

15

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

the fair value of marketable securities classified as trading (held in trust to satisfy obligations under certain deferred compensation liabilities) of $0.7 million and $2.0 million during the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, recorded in other (loss) income, net on the consolidated statement of income (see Note 5 — Marketable Securities).

7. Business Segments

The Company currently operates in three global businesses: Executive Recruitment, LTC and Futurestep. The Executive Recruitment segment focuses on recruiting Board of Director and C-level positions, in addition to research-based interviewing and onboarding solutions, for clients predominantly in the consumer, financial services, industrial, life sciences/healthcare and technology industries. LTC assists clients with ongoing assessment and development of their senior executives and management teams, and addresses three fundamental needs: Talent Strategy, Succession Management, and Leadership Development, all underpinned by a comprehensive array of world-leading IP, products and tools. Futurestep is a global industry leader in high-impact talent acquisition solutions. Its portfolio of services includes global and regional RPO, project recruitment, individual professional search and consulting. The Executive Recruitment business segment is managed by geographic regional leaders and LTC and Futurestep worldwide operations are managed by their respective Chief Executive Officers. The Executive Recruitment geographic regional leaders and the Chief Executive Officers of LTC and Futurestep report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Company also operates a Corporate segment to record global expenses of the Company.

The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based on the Company’s chief operating decision maker’s (“CODM”) review of (1) fee revenue and (2) adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”). To the extent that such charges occur, Adjusted EBITDA excludes restructuring charges, integration and acquisition costs, certain separation costs and certain non-cash charges (goodwill, intangible asset and other than temporary impairment). The accounting policies for the reportable segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies, except the items described above are excluded from EBITDA to arrive at Adjusted EBITDA.

16

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

Financial highlights by business segment are as follows:

8. Long-Term Debt

On June 3, 2015, the Company amended its senior unsecured revolving Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as lender (the “Lender”), which became effective on June 5, 2015. The Credit Agreement provides for an aggregate availability under the revolving credit facility up to $150.0 million, which includes a $15.0 million sub-limit for letters of credit, with an option to increase the credit facility by an additional $50.0 million prior to December 3, 2019, subject to the Lender’s consent and the satisfaction of certain conditions (including the requirement, if the Lender acting in its sole discretion so elects, that the credit facility under the Credit Agreement become secured at such time by substantially all the assets of the Company and the guarantors). The Credit Agreement matures on June 3, 2020.

17

Table of Contents

KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

July 31, 2015

Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s election, at the adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus the applicable margin or at the base rate plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is based on a percentage per annum determined in accordance with a specified pricing grid based on the Company’s total funded debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio. For LIBOR loans, the applicable margin will range from 0.875% to 1.75% per annum, while for base rate loans, the applicable margin will range from 0.00% to 0.75% per annum. The Company is required to pay a quarterly commitment fee of 0.25% to 0.40% on the revolving credit facility’s average daily unused commitments based on the Company’s total funded debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio. In addition, there is a domestic liquidity requirement that we maintain at least $50.0 million in domestic liquidity defined as unrestricted cash and/or marketable securities (excluding any marketable securities that are held in trust for the settlement of our obligations under certain deferred compensation plans) as a condition to consummating permitted acquisitions, paying dividends to our stockholders and making share repurchases of our common stock. Undrawn amounts on our line of credit may be used to calculate domestic liquidity. The Company is also limited in consummating permitted acquisitions, paying dividends to our stockholders and making share repurchases of our common stock to a cumulative total of $125.0 million in any fiscal year. Subject to the foregoing, the Company is permitted to pay up to $75.0 million in dividends and share repurchases, in aggregate, in any fiscal year (subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions).

As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, the Company had no borrowings under its long-term debt arrangements. At July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, there was $2.8 million of standby letters of credit issued under its long-term debt arrangements. The Company had a total of $1.4 million and $1.6 million of standby letters of credits with other financial institutions as of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, respectively.

9. Subsequent Events

Quarterly Dividend Declaration

On September 7, 2015, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share that will be paid on October 15, 2015 to holders of the Company’s common stock of record at the close of business on September 25, 2015. The declaration and payment of future dividends under the quarterly dividend policy will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including the Company’s earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions, the terms of the Company’s indebtedness and other factors that the Board of Directors may deem to be relevant. The Board may amend, revoke or suspend the dividend policy at any time and for any reason.

18

Table of Contents

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Forward-looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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 and efforts to develop new services, clients and practices, changes in our accounting estimates and assumptions, our investments in marketable securities, alignment of our cost structure, risks related to the integration of recently acquired businesses, seasonality, impacts of our dividend policy on our ability to pursue growth opportunities, and the matters disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Exchange Act reports, including Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2015 (“Form 10-K”). Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are made only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We also make available on the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.kornferry.com earnings slides and other important information, which we encourage you to review.

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 talent strategies as well as assist them in the execution of building and attracting their talent. We are a 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 72% of the executive recruitment searches we performed in fiscal 2015 were for board level, chief executive and other senior executive and general management positions. Our 5,350 clients in fiscal 2015 included many of the world’s largest and most prestigious public and private companies, including approximately 56% of the FORTUNE 500, middle market and emerging growth companies, as well as government and nonprofit organizations. We have built strong client loyalty, with 79% of assignments performed during fiscal 2015 having been on behalf of clients for whom we had conducted assignments in the previous three fiscal years. Approximately 60% of our revenues were generated from clients that utilize multiple lines of business.

In an effort to maintain our long-term strategy of being the leading provider of talent management solutions, our strategic focus for fiscal 2016 centers upon enhancing the integration of our multi-service strategy. 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.

19

Table of Contents

In fiscal 2015, we undertook an effort to bring together all our internally developed and acquired intellectual property in Korn Ferry’s Four Dimensions of Leadership (“KF4D”), our newest and most robust assessment tools for Executive Recruitment, LTC and Futurestep. We have identified four crucial areas that matter most for individual and organizational success. The analytics we collect enable us to help organizations accentuate strengths and identify areas to develop, as well as understand how they stack up against their competition:

Leveraging KF4D, we plan to continue to address areas of increasing client demand including LTC and RPO.

The Company currently operates in three global business segments: Executive Recruitment, LTC and Futurestep. See Note 7 —Business Segments, in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial for discussion of the Company’s 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) adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”). To the extent that such charges occur, Adjusted EBITDA excludes restructuring charges, integration and acquisition costs and certain separation costs and certain non-cash charges (goodwill, intangible asset and other than temporary impairment). Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. It has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP. In addition, it may not necessarily be comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Management believes the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure 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 this non-GAAP financial measure facilitates comparisons to Korn Ferry’s historical performance. Korn Ferry includes this non-GAAP financial measure because management believes it is 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 EBITDA to arrive at Adjusted EBITDA.

Fee revenue increased $16.2 million, or 6% in the three months ended July 31, 2015 to $267.4 million compared to $251.2 million in the three months ended July 31, 2014, with increases in fee revenue in all business segments. During the three months ended July 31, 2015, we recorded operating income of $32.9 million with Executive Recruitment, LTC and Futurestep segments contributing $34.9 million, $7.5 million and $6.2 million, respectively, offset by corporate expenses of $15.7 million. Net income during the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014 was $23.1 million and $14.5 million, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA was $41.7 million with Executive Recruitment, LTC and Futurestep segments contributing $36.9 million, $10.7 million, and $6.8 million, respectively, offset by corporate expenses net of other income and equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries of $12.7 million during the three months ended July 31, 2015. Adjusted EBITDA increased $3.8 million during the three months ended July 31, 2015 to $41.7 million, from Adjusted EBITDA of $37.9 million during the three months ended July 31, 2014.

Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities decreased $110.9 million, or 21%, to $414.5 million at July 31, 2015, compared to $525.4 million at April 30, 2015. This decrease is mainly due to bonuses earned in fiscal 2015 and paid during the first quarter of fiscal 2016 and $5.1 million in dividends paid during the first quarter of fiscal 2016, partially offset by cash provided by operating activities during the three months ended July 31, 2015. As of July 31, 2015, we held marketable securities to settle obligations under our Executive Capital Accumulation Plan (“ECAP”) with a cost value of $120.4 million and a fair value of $127.8 million. Our vested and unvested obligations for which these assets were held in trust totaled $125.5 million as of July 31, 2015. Our working capital increased by $5.0 million to $340.0 million in the three months ended July 31, 2015. We believe that cash on hand and funds from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital, capital expenditures, general corporate requirements and dividend payments under our dividend policy in the next twelve months. We had no long-term debt or any outstanding borrowings under our credit facility at July 31, 2015 or April 30, 2015. As of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, there was $2.8 million of standby letters of credit issued under our long-term debt arrangements. We have a total of $1.4 million and $1.6 million of standby letters of credits with other financial institutions as of July 31, 2015 and April 30, 2015, respectively.

20

Table of Contents

Results of Operations

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

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

21

Table of Contents