Kirk Cushing, Practice Director
When you grow up the youngest of nine kids, you learn early how to survive and thrive. Kirk is the youngest of the Cushings, a competitive family that could have crushed the Brady Bunch in any game you name. In his position at the bottom of the family food chain, Kirk learned some important lessons. For one, he learned that life isn't always fair, so stop whining. But you can make up for it with brains, energy and fortitude. He also learned that to achieve a goal, listen closely to stakeholders or you'll get pounded, seek consult when necessary, and make sure everyone has a voice, however loud it might be.
Those lessons have paid off well for the companies where Kirk has worked and for the clients he has advised. His fast-rising 15-year career has included positions with Arthur Andersen, Cadence Design Systems, and Cushman & Wakefield where he provided IT management and business systems leadership for a multitude of projects and applications. Kirk has completed over 20 significant operational software initiatives – building consensus and collaboration while managing staff, vendors and customer relationships. Whether the task is complex or simple (find stuff that's broken and fix it), Kirk never says "uncle".
Today, Kirk is passing along some of the lessons he's learned to his children (a scaled down brood of three) and to the kids he coaches in youth soccer games. He helps them gain skill and confidence and teaches them to work together to overcome adversity, no matter how daunting it may be. In addition to being a graduate of the Cushing School of Hard Knocks -- administered by his older siblings, Kirk has an MBA from Portland State University and a BS in Finance from Oregon State University.
