Brooks Kitchel
Partner
Kurt Salmon Associates
Excellence in Retail
Kurt Salmon Associates partner Brooks Kitchel imagines he would work as an architect or a teacher if he were not consulting retail clients. It's not surprising: Kitchel flexes the skills both of these professions require in his consulting work. The conceptual assortment planning (CAP) methodology he introduced to many KSA clients has transformed merchandising strategy in the retail industry. Like any great teacher, Kitchel derives great pleasure from helping younger consultants and his clients exceed their goals.
"One of the more enjoyable aspects of my job is working with younger consultants and seeing them do things they did not believe they could do," says Kitchel. "I think a good consultant is someone who gets the most pleasure out of seeing the results happen. It's not about starting a project or getting approval for a project, but it's the reward of seeing a client do well or gain value from your team delivering benefits beyond what you said you could do."
