Obituary

Kirk Rogg

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Kirk Rogg.  Kirk, age 42, died on Sunday, November 25, 2007, after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.”  During his final days in his Overland Park, KS home, Kirk was surrounded by his loving family.  Kirk is survived by his wife Angie and three daughters.

Kirk received his BS in 1987, MS in 1990, and PhD in industrial-organizational psychology in 1997 from Kansas State University where he continued to serve as a mentor, advisor, and friend throughout his professional career.  At the time of his death, Kirk was a senior vice president at Aon Consulting where he worked with many Fortune 100 clients, including Dell, LOMA, Motorola, Sprint, McDonald’s, Ford Motor Company, Sears, and Yum! Brands.  Kirk implemented selection systems in more than 15 countries with well over 10 million candidates screened using programs he designed.

Kirk made a huge impact at Aon Consulting and was loved by his team.  He provided them with strong growth opportunities and a supportive, high-performance work environment.  Kirk served in numerous leadership positions at Aon and developed some of its most successful and innovative products and services, including an award-winning leadership assessment process.  Kirk co-authored a leadership development book, My Leadership Journey, published by Aon.  Kirk was a frequent speaker at many conferences including SIOP, APA, APS, Conference Board, and Linkage.  His innovative work in talent management was featured in U.S., European, and Asian editions of the Wall Street Journal, and he has been published in journals such as the Journal of Management, Organizational Behavior & Human Performance, and Educational & Psychological Measurement. 

Through his illness, Kirk and his family found a way to provide help to those in need for years to come through the Nehemiah Project Foundation Fund (www.nehemiahprojectkc.com). The Nehemiah Project promotes leadership, networking, collaboration, and services that are necessary for non-profit organizations to be effective.

Kirk will be deeply missed by his family, friends, church, and the professional community he so loved.  All of us who were touched by Kirk will miss his intellect, friendship, and insightful counsel.

Editor’s Note: We gratefully acknowledge Amy Mills and Ron Downey for their assistance in preparing this obituary.