It’s a long and arduous route, from the
Projects of Brooklyn to New York’s Small Businessperson
of the Year.
It took Brian Drum 37 years to walk that walk. But
he did. With the flair, hustle, vision, perseverance
and sheer doggedness that make New Yorkers –
and indeed, Americans – the unique breed that
they are.
In 1967, at the age of 21, Brian put an already sizeable
history behind him: running a trucking company to
put himself through school, followed by a stint in
the US Army. And he opened the doors of his own recruiting
firm catering primarily, at the time, to the staffing
needs of the financial community. The company’s
focus soon gravitated towards the executive search
field, and Drum Personnel evolved into Drum Associates.
Brian eventually set up shop at 150 Broadway, one
scant block from where the twin towers of the World
Trade Center would tower over the world.
A photograph hangs elegantly on a wall of his office,
a view from the window of the premises that he has
occupied all these years. It showcases the North tower
of the Trade Center under construction in the late
60’s.
Today, the site is much the same …. a grim tribute
and an eloquent testimony to America’s determination
to respect its history, and to rebuild even bigger
and better dreams.
In the months that followed 9/11, New York’s
financial district witnessed a mass exodus of companies,
and a mass scaling down of the workforce of businesses,
not just in New York, but across America and globally.
But for its part, Drum Associates dug its heels in,
and settled in for the long haul – with Brian’s
simple motto as the banner for its toughest fight:
We will not let them win. Not one employee was fired.
Not one payroll was missed. Although the 2 years just
before the tragedy were good financial years for Drum,
the cost of keeping the payroll going in the aftermath
of 9/11 resulted in immense personal debt when those
funds ran out. But Drum determinedly persevered, refusing
to resort to layoffs, or relocate, or simply shut
its doors. As Brian puts it: “We were all in
a lifeboat, and each one of us had to row like hell
to keep the boat afloat”.
He not only kept the lifeboat afloat. He pulled it
safely into harbor.
Drum Associates continues to retain over 30 professionals,
with areas of expertise that include Wall Street,
Healthcare, Japanese Business, and Information Technology.
Brian’s clients range from multi-billion dollar
conglomerates to small boutique investment firms,
and international players. The assignments cover CEOs
to security guards, and everything in between. And
he has built his company to a standard where clients
get a success rate of over 90%, versus the industry
standard of 65%.
