“Leap! and the net will appear.” — John Burroughs

Keryl Oliver

CEO and President

It was during the year 1999, when those employed were thankful to be so, that Keryl was entertaining the notion of leaving a progressive and successful corporate career to pursue the dream of starting a business. She launched Hawthorne in 2000. Today, as she vividly recalls the startup phase of inventorying every paper clip, 18 hour workdays and 4 years straight without a vacation,  she will say without hesitation “I would do it all again.”  What motivates a driver like her?  “…The blend of strategy and creative, the fulfillment of seeing your vision become reality, the pleasure of working with a diverse client base, the energy of the team and the family they’ve become — and most importantly, the satisfaction of helping client succeed.”   Still a driver, Keryl has more time to enjoy life these days — and when she is not building incredible memories with her teenage daughter, she is on the jogging trail, on her bike, in her kayak  —and yes, there is the occasional martini.