Immigrating to Canada with his family in 1973, Rudy Karsan (BMath '79) came to UWaterloo to become an Actuary. At the time, it was considered the highest paying job in Canada, and money was a primary driver for Rudy. He graduated a year early, wrote his exams quickly, and became a Fellow by his mid-20s.
After a few years, with his family settled in Canada, Rudy saw an opportunity to move to the United States and start a business. In fact, he worked for and started many different companies, some of which failed, and others, mildly successful.
Then he started Kenexa, which helped revolutionize the global human resource space. Kenexa grew to become one of the world’s most significant Human Resources (HR) firms, valued at over a billion dollars and IBM recently acquired it.
The inspiration for Kenexa? Money, as well as a sense of service. Over the many years Rudy ran Kenexa, his values shifted, and he realized how important it was to find a “why” in the business.
“One of the things I’ve learned over time is that the businesses I started only for money, were generally not very successful,” explained Rudy. “My why at Kenexa became serving humanity, because I have a fundamental belief that engagement at work has a spillover effect in the rest of our lives. If you are engaged in your job, you’re a better parent, a better spouse, and a better community member.”
In Rudy’s popular TEDx talk on the future of work and New York Times bestselling novel, We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement, he stresses the importance of putting the right person in the right job, and maximizing their experience as a worker. Many of us go through the journey to find meaningful work, and we get there faster if were in an engaged environment.
“We are what we do, and what we do is who we are,” shared Rudy. “Meaningful work comes down to having the three P’s – the right purpose, the right passion and the right pay. Without these three pieces, getting joy from what you do is very difficult.”
While the sale of Kenexa left Rudy and his family well off financially, he shifted his lifestyle drastically to support a more meaningful life. He simplified where he invests his energy and resources. “I realized the more you own, the more things own you,” Rudy explained. “I worked to eliminate material ownership in my life. I rent now vs. own.”
This has left Rudy with an abundance of time, to enjoy moments and focus on the projects and activities he is passionate about. Rudy is now a venture capitalist with Karlani Capital, investing in companies that move the needle and make the world a better place. Rudy also recently returned to campus as a judge for the Velocity Fund Final pitch competition, and shared his thoughts with UWaterloo students at an “Ask Me Anything” session.
Rudy’s biggest takeaways? Invest in yourself and find the right career. Meaningful work can truly change the trajectory of people’s lives. It’s a journey many of us take and it’s very worthwhile.
