Stephen A. Unger is a "leading executive recruiter

Recruiter

A recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, or the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within a corporation, nonprofit organization, sports team, the military, etc. Recruiters may work within an organization's human resources department or on an outsourced basis...

" who served as managing partner of the media and entertainment divisions at the three largest executive search firms in the world. From 2004-2005 he wrote a regular weekly column on leadership for the Daily Variety, a trade publication considered to be the "Bible of Show Business."

Son of award-winning film producer, distributor and exhibitor Oliver A. Unger

Oliver A. Unger

Oliver A. Unger was an award-winning film producer, distributor, and exhibitor who participated in every phase of the motion picture business including production, distribution, marketing, promotion, and exhibition during a 45-year career...

, Stephen Unger was born in New York City, NY, and lived there until age 13 when he and his family moved to Beverly Hills, California. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School

Beverly Hills High School

Beverly Hills High School is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. Beverly is part of the Beverly Hills Unified School District and located on on the west side of Beverly Hills, at the...

 in 1963. Unger graduated from Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

 in 1967 and attended New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

’s Graduate Institute of Film and Television. He then lived and worked in various countries outside the United States over ten years. Unger speaks six languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese.

In 1971, he co-founded, built, owned and operated Foster's Hollywood - Spain’s first American-food/Hollywood-themed restaurants. He and his partners sold the restaurant chain in 1976. As of 2009, Foster's Hollywood is the 11th largest franchise restaurant chain in Europe with over 140 restaurants in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

.

Unger served as Associate Producer on the Emmy Award

Emmy Award

An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

-winning telefeature Verna: USO GIRL,

Verna: USO Girl

Verna: USO Girl is a teleplay by Albert Innaurato.Based on a Paul Gallico story, it focuses on untalented singer-dancer Verna Vain, who fervently believes that a U.S.O. tour overseas will put her on the road to superstardom. Although she's more willing than able, her brave self-confidence wins the...

 starring Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...

, William Hurt

William Hurt

William McGill Hurt is an American stage and film actor. He received his acting training at the Juilliard School, and began acting on stage in the 1970s. Hurt made his film debut as a troubled scientist in the science-fiction feature Altered States , for which he received a Golden Globe nomination...

 and Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva was an American actor.-Early life:He was born Howard Silverblatt in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Benjamin and Bertha Silverblatt. His parents were both Yiddish speaking Jews born in Russia. He had a job as a steelworker before beginning his acting career on the stage...

. Subsequently, Unger held a number of senior corporate positions, including Vice President, International Sales and Acquisitions of Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...

 (NBC Universal

NBC Universal

NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...

); Vice President, International Distribution of CBS Theatrical Films

CBS Theatrical Films

CBS Theatrical Films was the film production branch of the U.S. television network, CBS, in the 1980s. CBS began its theatrical films operation in 1979, headed by Donald March, and turned the operation into the separate CBS Theatrical Films division in 1980. The company was active from 1979 to...

 (CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

, Inc.); and Senior Vice President, International Sales of Filmways Pictures, Inc. (later absorbed into MGM).

In 1988, Unger became an executive recruiter and joined Korn/Ferry International, where he served as a Partner and a Managing Director of its Worldwide Entertainment and Communications Practice. He remained there until 1991 when he joined Spencer Stuart as a Partner and Managing Director of its Worldwide Entertainment and Communications Practice. In 1998, Unger joined Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles International Incorporated is a global executive search firm. The company claims to be the first leadership advisory firm in the world. In terms of 2009 revenue, publicly held Heidrick & Struggles is the world's second largest executive-search. It is one of the "Big Five"...

’ Global Media and Entertainment Practice as Managing Partner, and news of his own recruitment to the firm was reported on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. In 2003, he started KSMU LLC, a boutique executive search firm.

Leonard Armato, longtime Association of Volleyball Professionals

Association of Volleyball Professionals

The Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October....

 Commissioner, described Unger "as one of the top people in sports and entertainment as far as searching for top executives," and he has been recognized by Sporting News' 14-member panel of executives and editors in their annual "100 Most Powerful" list, including #63 in 2001. He has also been named #65 on CableFAX Magazine’s “100 Most Influential in Cable” List.

Unger led the recruitment search for Michael Wolf in his move from Booz-Allen to McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...

 in 2001, which "shook up the industry." He has been quoted in the media regarding senior executive search

Executive search

Executive search is the consultative process of recruiting individuals to fill senior executive positions in organizations. Executive search may be performed by an organization's board of directors, or by an outside executive search organization....

es, succession

Succession planning

Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become...

 plans, remuneration

Remuneration

Remuneration is the total compensation that an employee receives in exchange for the service they perform for their employer. Typically, this consists of monetary rewards, also referred to as wage or salary...

, retention

Retention

Retention may refer to:* Retention, in learning, the ability to retain facts and figures in memory ** Selective retention* Cultural retention* Customer retention...

, and contract

Contract

A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

 negotiations, as well as market trends

Market trends

A market trend is a putative tendency of a financial market to move in a particular direction over time. These trends are classified as secular for long time frames, primary for medium time frames, and secondary for short time frames...

 and suggestions for terminated

Termination of employment

-Involuntary termination:Involuntary termination is the employee's departure at the hands of the employer. There are two basic types of involuntary termination, known often as being "fired" and "laid off." To be fired, as opposed to being laid off, is generally thought of to be the employee's...

employees. He has been invited to speak as a guest lecturer at a number of major universities, including Stanford and UCLA.

His wife of over 30 years is Kathleen S. M. Unger, M.B.A., J.D.