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Fulfi Ki Ha K

P R O F I L E

The Woodward Headquarters and Manufacturing Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. For this project, Ghafari applied a full range of capabilities, from process design to architecture and facility engineering.

Tabbouleh or a baked potato President and CEO of Ghafari, a big Michigan firm, has broadened its services, allowing it to weather tough times and maintain an era of growth.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

accounting firm, one of the “big eight.” During that time, she was able to gain managerial experience which has helped her to take on the many roles she’s had at Ghafari. She joined Ghafari as CFO in 1986. She has served as president and CEO since 2000. “My transition from CFO to CEO came about from my ability to holistically comprehend all aspects of the business,” Hammer says. A CONVERSATION WITH HAMMER. Th e Zweig Letter: How have you seen Ghafari evolve over the years? Ki Hammer: When I first started with Ghafari, there were only three employees and the firm was heavily involved with the automotive indus- try. Since then, we have grown and diversified tre- mendously and now specialize in a number of key fi fi fi fi

A s president and CEO of Ghafari (Hot Firm #11 for 2016), a more than 500 person global en- gineering, architecture, process design, consulting, and construction services firm based in Dearborn, Michigan, Kouhaila “Ki” Hammer, has successful- ly advanced a diversification strategy that not only helped Ghafari weather the Great Recession but has also enabled the company to experience steady growth. “My transition from CFO to CEO came about from my ability to holistically comprehend all aspects of the business.” An accountant by background, Hammer began her career in the audit division of a major public resi e t and CEO of Ghafari (Hot Firm #11 for 2016), a 500-plus person global engi neering, architecture, proces i , fi has suc es fully advanced a diversification strategy that

Kouhaila “Ki” Hammer, President and CEO, Ghafari

THE ZWEIG LETTER Jan IG L TT Janu T Z L J

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