Richard Fitch
Vice President
Richard Fitch brings an exceptional understanding of business needs to his work with Gary Kaplan & Associates. A seasoned top human resources executive with nearly three decades in corporate management, he is acutely aware of the often specialized requirements of organizations seeking to further their goals by acquiring and developing talented people. Mr. Fitch's long-standing relationships with senior and board level executives provide exceptional access to top talent in a variety of functional areas. His work in human resources and search has afforded him knowledge of an array of industries, including financial services, technology, healthcare/life sciences, and the non-profit sector. His educational training and long-term career experience have honed his sound business judgement, enabling him to guide clients in analyzing and quantifying their specific candidate needs.
In over 20 years with Cal Fed where he most recently served as both Executive Vice President of Cal Fed Bancorp, Inc., and Executive Vice President, Human Resources & Administration for California Federal Bank, Mr. Fitch was actively engaged in leading the search process for over a hundred high-level placements. In his role as the principal human resources executive at Cal Fed, he supported the acquisition, merger, and/or start-up of over 35 companies during his tenure and managed the personnel impact of a number of corporate restructurings, acquisitions, and divestitures. In addition, he was responsible for the corporate real estate, corporate and information security, community development, and administrative services functions. Mr. Fitch also served on the Board of Directors of Cal Fed Bank and Cal Fed Insurance Agency.
Following a successful banking career, Mr. Fitch became a partner in Shaffer Consulting Group, which provided retained executive recruiting services to a variety of clients in corporate, non-profit, and educational organizations. He later formed Fitch & Associates, a human resources and general business consulting company, where he helped organize and structure the investment in and start-up of an industrial product development services company.
Mr. Fitch holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. His professional involvement included membership in the Human Resources Round Table for Senior Executives (HAART) at UCLA; and the Center for Human Resources and Financial Employee Relations Study Group at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Boy Scouts of America, Los Angeles Area Council and he is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Rapid Product Solutions, Inc.