This month, KJT celebrated 15 years of incorporation – and its President and CEO, Michaela Gascon has been with the company every step of the way. As KJT’s first employee, Michaela is also celebrating her 15th work anniversary! Throughout that time, she has worked across every department within the company, gaining familiarity with each role and function before stepping into the big shoes left by founder and former CEO, Dr. Kenneth J. Tomaszewski.
In addition to her broad experience and perspectives as a leader, Michaela is committed to maintaining and cultivating the unique KJT culture, which enables more innovative problem solving and overall continuous improvement across the business. According to Michaela, this culture is at the heart of KJT’s ‘diverse team filled with intellectual curiosity and the passion to connect patterns and answer questions for our clients’ businesses.’
Please join us in thanking Michaela for her dedication, passion and leadership, which will continue to guide KJT into the future.
The Road that Led to KJT: Michaela worked with both Ken and colleague Lynn Clement, (KJT’s current Executive VP of Solutions Consulting), at Harris Interactive before joining the nascent KJT enterprise as its first employee. Starting at 30 hours per week, Michaela continued to pursue her MBA in parallel, graduating Cum Laude in 2008 from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
“There was a great deal of trust underpinning that little team,” said Ken, in reference to KJT’s three original employees (Michaela, Lynn and Amy Allen, current VP of Qualitative Research). “We knew we could all work collectively toward KJT’s mutual success because everyone was confident in each other’s work ethic, diligence and foundational morals.”
Together, along with several other key staff additions in the early days of the agency, they built an evidence-based consulting firm, with a staff of more than 60 research professionals today serving a diversity of clients across multiple healthcare sectors.
Something you might not know about Michaela: In 2017, Michaela and her husband David fulfilled a life- long dream and purchased land in Mendon, NY to start a winery, 20 Deep. They produced their first batch of wine in the Fall of 2021, and are opening their tasting room this fall. David summed up their philosophy about the winery: “Our philosophy is a dedication to quality in a ‘laid back’ atmosphere. We want to bring people together over a glass of wine so they can unwind, share stories, and laugh.” Michaela adds: “We’re committed to a high-quality product in a place where people want to linger and feel part of the community.”
From the Team: “It has been my honor and privilege to have worked with Michaela since the earliest days of the agency, and to have been a part of something so unique and special throughout these many years. She is an amazing businesswoman and leader who has given so much to KJT. I’m proud to call her my friend and colleague, and I’m confident in her abilities to guide us toward an even more successful future.” Lynn Clement, Executive VP of Solutions Consulting
“Every day I come into work and think how lucky I am to work with and get to spend time with Michaela. She embodies KJT’s core values through her integrity, empathy, and commitment to being ever better. She’s a visionary, a leader, a friend, and an incredible mentor to me and everyone else at KJT who pushes us to be our best version of ourselves. She has changed my life in too many ways to describe. Plus, she’s pretty great to travel with: engaging conversation, fabulous taste in restaurants, and there is no bad weather that can stop her from reaching her destination.” Dan Wasserman, COO
“Michaela has been an instrumental leader here at KJT, as one of the original members of the Company when it was founded 15 years ago. KJT is well poised for future growth and expansion with her at the helm.” David Graham, CFO
