About Kirk

Kirk Kazanjian is an inspiring and authoritative voice on the latest trends in customer service, marketing, employee retention, leadership, and successful business practices in today’s fast-changing and competitive world.

The bestselling author of more than a dozen books, Kirk is a lifelong entrepreneur who has started and run several successful companies. He is also an internationally recognized expert on the financial markets and has served in various executive roles within the investment industry.

Given his longstanding passion for business, it’s no surprise that Kirk was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school, and earned an early reputation as a solid leader. At age 14, he started a successful tour company and was the youngest accredited travel agency owner in the nation. After graduating with honors from the University of Southern California, Kirk became an award-winning television news anchor and business reporter. He regularly interviewed top CEOs, politicians (including several U.S. and foreign presidents), celebrities, and other newsmakers. His stories on all aspects of business appeared regularly on CNN Headline News and ABC-affiliate stations around the country.

Kirk left broadcasting in 1994 and quickly became an influential and fast-rising business executive. He has held senior-level jobs in marketing and investment research at several leading financial services companies, including Mercer Global Advisors, American Century Investments, and an affiliate of Wilmington Trust. He is also the founding editor of Wall Street Insider, a monthly investment newsletter, and has authored numerous bestselling guides to investing and personal finance, including Wizards of Wall Street, The Market Masters, Growing Rich with Growth Stocks, Value Investing with the Masters, and Buying Mutual Funds For Free. In addition, he started and wrote the popular Wall Street’s Picks and New York Institute of Finance Guide to Mutual Funds series of books.

Kirk further serves as President and Editorial Director of a leading financial communications and publishing development company, and has authored and/or developed numerous books exploring the best practices of such leading companies as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, JetBlue, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Trader Joe’s, Krispy Kreme, and Avon Products.

His latest book, Exceeding Customer Expectations, contains a proven formula for creating amazingly happy customers, forming important partnerships, developing an empowered workforce, increasing employee retention, and building a company beyond your wildest dreams. It is based on the principles of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which has used the strategies outlined in this book to become the number one rental car company in North America.

Exceeding Customer Expectations has received high praise from some of the world’s top business leaders, including Warren Buffett, American Express CEO Ken Chenault, and Xerox CEO Ann Mulcahy, who said, “I loved this book and learned from it as well. It’s essential reading for every business manager and a powerful example that if you create value for your customers, your business will flourish and all your stakeholders will benefit.”

In addition to being a prolific writer, Kirk is a popular speaker and consultant on such topics as delivering excellent customer service, strategies for empowering and retaining employees, supercharging your marketing and branding efforts, and making your company stand out from the competition.

He is frequently interviewed by the media and has appeared on CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, and other radio and television stations across the country. He and his books have also been featured in numerous publications, including Barron’s, Entrepreneur, The Christian Science Monitor, Fortune, and USA Today.

An avid animal lover and passionate volunteer for such organizations as the Alzheimer’s Association, Kirk resides in Los Angeles, California.