IRVINE, California, March 6, 2017 – McDermott & Bull, one of the largest executive search firms in the Americas and the fastest-growing firm within the Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Recruiters list, is proud to announce the successful appointment of James Kozy as Vice President, Financial Services Center with First American Financial Corporation, a leading provider of title insurance protection and settlement services to the real estate at mortgage industries.

This executive recruiting engagement was conducted by Chris Bull, Managing Partner; Rob Gross, Associate Principal Consultant; and Brittany Rausch, Recruiting Associate at McDermott & Bull.  According to Bull, “We felt that James’ shared services experience, along with a strong grasp of accounting & finance functions, made him a great candidate.  His personality and work ethic will be appreciated at First American.”

After graduating with a degree in Finance from the University of Toledo, Kozy started his career in an analyst role.  A promotional opportunity took him to Phoenix in 1995.  As the Controller of a small architectural and civil engineering firm, he was exposed to the AR, AP, financial planning, and accounting of the business.  Kozy took an opportunity with American Express in 1998, where he grew throughout the company in multiple finance and accounting roles.  Due to the success that he had in prior Controller roles, American Express made him responsible for creating a shared services platform.  In this role, he built a team from scratch, had oversite of anywhere from 60 to 90 employees, and led the R2R function for the company’s global Real Estate and Operations businesses (a $1B division).  Prior to joining First American Home Warranty, Kozy was in a lead Financial Officer role within the Technologies group at American Express, responsible for a $700MM annual budget, GAAP reporting, and strategic financial operations of the group.

Kozy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance from the University of Toledo and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

About First American Financial Corporation

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) operates through its family of companies to help people achieve and protect their dream of home ownership.  First American was named one of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2016.  With experience dating back to 1889, First American is a leading provider of title insurance protection and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries.  More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.

About McDermott & Bull

McDermott & Bull has been redefining expectations within the world of executive search since 2001.  The firm’s practice leaders, all of whom have substantial executive experience, are uniquely positioned to address the dynamic leadership demands of public and private companies across nearly every industry.  With the advent of MB Interim Leaders in 2011, McDermott & Bull is powerfully equipped to service both the permanent and interim needs of its clients.  Respected companies including Aramark, CoreLogic, Epson America, Hyundai Capital America, In-N-Out Burger, Kaiser Aluminum, Unified Grocers, Western Federal Credit Union (UNIFY Financial Credit Union), Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Chicken of the Sea, Western Digital, Golden State Foods, Google, Panda Restaurant Group, Honda Center/Anaheim Ducks, Comerica Bank, Union Bank, as well as portfolio companies owned by private equity firms such as Riverside Company, Sun Capital Partners, ClearLight Partners, Swander Pace Capital, Chicago Growth Partners, Atar Capital, and Riordan, Lewis & Hayden, have all partnered with McDermott & Bull.  Additionally, the firm’s Executive Network program provides valuable resources for and offers opportunities to build meaningful relationships with thousands of C-Suite and VP-level executives throughout the country.