Ken Hurley is an expert in Human resource management and employee interaction. He has worked in this field for a long time. He has become a leader in working with unions and has made it easier for unions, big companies, and employers to talk to each other. His long biography shows how society can progress when people work together to improve working conditions and labor relations for everyone.
 

The Early Years of Hurley

Hurley became interested in politics, negotiations, and other competitions soon after he finished high school at Ladue High School. He was a popular and well-liked student at this school, but in college, he found his true calling. He got a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Saint Louis University and graduated with an impressive 3.9-grade point average.

Then, he went to Washington University in St. Louis and got a law degree (Juris Doctor). He got second place in negotiations competitions and was on the Moot Court Team at this university. These groups helped him get ready for a job where he would help groups find things they had in common that they couldn't find on their own.

During his time here, he learned many of the most important lessons that helped him advance in his career. These included patience, empathy, and negotiating with groups with different ideas, needs, and concepts. His goal is always to do what's right for his clients by finding what they have in common and helping them figure out how they can help each other succeed.
 

His Early Wins in His Field

Ken Hurley's first job after college was as an assistant attorney for Simpson, Aherne & Garrity. This law firm focuses on employment and labor law in the construction industry. During the five years he worked here, he helped with research, writing, court cases, training, and negotiating with unions at different hearings and trials. He also did research, wrote legal briefs, and cared for many other things.

Among other things, he wrote policies and handbooks for employees and made HR documents and newsletters. During different trials and strikes, Hurley also got real-world legal experience, where he made orders that helped companies keep working smoothly and efficiently despite strikes. His success with these cases helped him move forward in his career.

After he was done here, he worked for Kindred Healthcare for seven years as the labor and employee relations director. He started as a regional labor relations counsel for the western United States. Later, he moved to take over the whole department. During his time here, he worked on collective bargaining agreements that affected more than 2,000 healthcare workers across the country. This event greatly impacted him and gave him the training he needed for his most important successes.
 

How Hurley made his impressive successes even better

Around this time, many big companies started recognizing Ken Hurley's name. He got a job as vice president of labor relations at Penske Truck Leasing, one of the largest companies in the country that does what he does. He got the job after a big bidding war. Here, he focused on changing HR and labor relations by eliminating reactive strategies that were business-focused and putting the employee first.

For example, he helped improve relations with trucking unions, oversaw four HR directors and several administrators, and made rules for HR and negotiations that included treating each other with respect and dignity. His success here lasted for four years. Then, for the next six years, he was the senior vice president of human resources. Ken made Penske's operations even better by emphasizing better executive leadership, education, and a better understanding of how to deal with employees.

He also worked on better hiring and staffing methods, improved the company's technology, and made it easier to negotiate with workers, all of which helped Penske run even better. He was in charge of 72 associates at the corporate level and 40 more in a complicated reporting structure. He changed the organization so that it went from being the second-worst to the second-best, which is almost unheard of in his field.
 

Current Success and Donations to Charity

Ken Hurley joined the American Red Cross after he left Penske and stayed there for two years. One of his biggest accomplishments was negotiating the first-ever national contract with a group of unions representing ARC workers. ARC gave him a lot of praise during his time here, especially for his ability to train and grow leaders in labor relations. This education is something that all of his other employers noticed and liked because everywhere he worked, he left behind better and smarter leaders.

Hurley has been quiet for years because he has given money to good causes. Like many other kind people, he thinks that charity shouldn't be advertised too much because then it loses its power. Because of this, he doesn't talk about how many groups he has helped. Working for the American Red Cross was one way he tried to help other people, but it wasn't the only time.

Since he left the American Red Cross, he has worked for other groups and has been just as successful there. His name is often used as a synonym for HR excellence, and many companies consider him an example. For example, he has helped train the HR departments of many companies to meet their employees' needs and be as effective as possible and handle many types of negotiations.

And Hurley has no plans to retire any time soon. He has recently been considering joining a volunteer fire department in his town and has looked into several different teams. This unexpected interest is just one more way that he is kind. It also shows that he is a good negotiator because he understands the working class. His desire to help others is like that of the working-class people he has helped through labor negotiations. They are often caring and focused on the community.