As a member of the Adams-Gabbert executive team, Denise is responsible for leading overall business strategy, with a focus on business growth through service offerings and geographic markets.

Denise Kruse extended her twenty-five year career in consultative business management and development at Right Management in her role as Executive Vice President for Heartland, Rocky Mountain and Midlands. Her diverse background includes consulting, business development, and P&L general management within a multi-billion dollar corporation. Denise initiated her career in the Kansas City area and relocated to Ft. Lauderdale, FL to join a global recruiting, consulting, outsourcing and technology provider, with world headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale. Denise cultivated partnerships with organizations to assist them in effectively managing their entire human capital life cycle within a competitive business market, successfully managing a $400M+ Division of workforce solutions in Fortune 100 companies, throughout the United States.

Throughout her career, Denise has a broad range of experiences including creating a human capital optimization study and resulting operational plans designed to quantify value, leverage best practice processes, and improve organizational profitability. Her valued exposure with the Saratoga Institute brings an understanding of human capital measurement and the costs associated with less than optimal human resource management results. She has consulted with multiple organizations at the senior executive level, becoming a trusted advisor in areas relating to their human capital, as it impacts their business results.

Denise has been involved in merger and acquisition activities and several corporate restructuring programs and has an outstanding record of achievement in business expansion, talent and leadership development, business recovery, and a special focus on her ability to create the strategy and delivery infrastructure for business integration within organizations.  She has received numerous recognitions for her contributions, including being the recipient of the annual corporate-wide Greatness Award while at Spherion, recognizing her successful leadership results, selection to the 2004 Chairmans Club at Right, honored as a 2006 Woman Who Mean Business, and the 2008 Women of Influence in Kansas City.

Denise has presented nationally on a variety of workforce management topics, leadership development, human capital strategies, and development of women leaders.  Denise is a current Board Member of RP Products, Inc.  She also serves on the Advisory Board at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business at UMKC, Chairman of the Board of YouthFriends, and Vice Chairman of the Board of The Central Exchange where she serves as Chair of the Win/Win Council. Her civic involvement includes board member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and co-founder of the Heartland Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). 

Denise graduated from Emporia State University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and minor in Psychology. 

As a member of the Adams-Gabbert executive team, Kara is responsible for driving all strategic and operational initiatives related to the Human Resources and Administration functions.

Kara has over 12 years experience in Human Resources management with the professional services industry.  Specifically, her areas of expertise include Associate Relations, Compensation and Benefits, Recruitment and Selection, and Training and Development.  Prior to joining Adams-Gabbert & Associates, Kara held various roles in Human Resource management with RSM McGladrey, Inc., KPMG LLP, and Arthur Andersen LLP.

Kara graduated from William Jewell College, a private liberal arts college, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  Kara also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Society of Human Resources.  Additionally, she is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management and the Kansas City chapter of Human Resources Management Association.

Away from the office, Kara is actively involved with the MS Society, Harvesters, and several other charitable organizations for women and children.

Kirk Porteous, Vice President, Client Services, is a successful Fortune 500 executive who brings 22 years of business management, marketing and strategic planning experience to Adams-Gabbert & Associates.  Kirk has a broad functional background ranging from corporate and divisional level strategy, planning and analysis, market forecasting, marketing strategy, product development, product and market management and process improvement. 

Prior to joining Adams-Gabbert & Associates, he served as Director of Product Development for EMBARQ where he was responsible for developing voice, data and video product and service offerings.  Prior to that, Kirk held various executive level positions including Director and Acting Vice President for Corporate Strategy at Sprint Corporation.

As Vice President for Client Services, Kirk leads the delivery practice, with key responsibilities including solution strategy and development; quality assurance; associate recruitment and development; community leadership; and business development.  Kirk is also responsible for leading strategic planning efforts at Adams-Gabbert & Associates.

Kirk has a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Radio and Television from Kansas State University and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. 

Kirk also serves on the Board for Whitefield Academy, a K-12 school located in Kansas City, MO.

As a member of the Adams-Gabbert executive team, Tony is responsible for leading the St. Louis market expansion.

Tony has over 13 years experience in professional services with expertise in internal audit, risk services and program management in the manufacturing, consumer products and financial services industries. He has extensive consulting experience with clients in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Prior to joining Adams-Gabbert, Tony was with Ernst & Young in St. Louis.

Tony is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from St. Louis University.

As Director, Client Services, Dan is responsible for leading the Program Management, Portfolio Management and Strategic Technology solutions.  Dan has over 15 years of industry and professional services experience, operating as a results-oriented leader within business-oriented and information technology roles.  His background includes enterprise program management, portfolio management, merger and acquisition, project management, strategic planning, business analysis and systems development and integration.

Prior to rejoining Adams-Gabbert in 2008, Dan previously held professional services roles at Ernst & Young within retail, healthcare, government and telecommunication.

Dan has also held industry roles as Assistant Vice President, Program Management for Gentiva Health Services, a $1.2 Billion dollar leading nationwide provider of comprehensive home healthcare and related services and served as part of the management team for a specialty retail merchandise planning and supply chain collaboration software as a Service (SAAS) Solution Provider, leading the development and operational support organizations.

Dan graduated from Kansas State University with Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.

Joe began his professional career with Black & Veatch, a consulting engineering firm headquartered in Kansas City, before moving on to work as a management consultant for Ernst & Young.  In 2002, Joe left Ernst &Young to join Adams-Gabbert.  He brings over 16 years of experience in consulting, including business process improvement, project management, business analysis, facilitation and application development and implementation.

 Since joining Adams-Gabbert, Joe has spent time with Birch Telecom, Sprint, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of KC, Aquila, KU Hospital, Boilermakers National Fund, Embarq, Unified Government of KC. Kansas/Wyandotte County, and the General Services Administration.  As the Director of Process Improvement Solutions, his primary responsibilities include Client Services delivery and leading the Business Process Improvement service line.

 Joe is also experienced with project management assessments, change management, facilitation, process mapping, business requirements definition, process transformation, gap analysis, and business operations analysis.  At Adams-Gabbert, Joe continues to develop the Business Process Improvement offering, which can be used as a competitive tool that allows companies to identify and enhance core business processes while ensuring alignment with their organizational strategies. 

Joe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from the University of Kansas.  He holds a Professional Engineer license in the state of Kansas.