CORT, the nation’s leading provider of furniture rental and transition services, has announced the retirement of Mark Koepsell, effective April 8, 2022, after over 34 years of dedicated service to the company.
Mark started his highly successful and impactful career with CORT in January of 1988 as CORT’s National Accounts Manager. He soon became the Director of National Accounts, VP of National Sales and in 2002 was promoted to Senior VP of Sales.
Over the years, Mark has made invaluable contributions to CORT by being an active member of our Executive Committee with responsibilities that included executive management of National Accounts, Destination Services and Apartment Search, CORT Global Network, Higher Education, Government Sales, and so many other strategic and “start-up” endeavors.
“First and foremost, I have thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of our customer base and the organizations I have worked with”, said Mark. “I can’t imagine any other job where I would interface with major corporations, multiple governments and embassies, global partners, and more. Second, I have been blessed to work with managers and teams throughout the world that excelled at fulfillment and customer satisfaction. Truly it was this group that made my job both rewarding and easy.”
Within the last decade, as an Executive Vice President of Business Strategy and Sales, Mark has been a leader and driving force behind higher education strategy at an executive level and was very active early on promoting CORT’s strategies to universities and facilities management around the country. Additionally, he has always been an influencer in multifamily housing, international relocation, corporate housing, and other organizations that seek out his counsel on trends and future strategies.
“Mark has reported to me since 2007 and I will miss his input, perspective, and qualitative and quantitative analysis,” shared Jeff Pederson, Chairman, and CEO of CORT. “Moreover, I will miss his dedication to CORT and desire to make this organization an ever-improving and growing force in our industry.”
As he moves on to the next chapter, Mark’s advice to his coworkers and future CORT employees is this:
“Being naturally curious, I tend to read a lot. Sometimes it is trade journals and current events, but often it involves the impact of economics and demographics on future trends. Also, I have found that I learn much more outside my office rather than inside. Whether it be with listening to customers or attending sessions at trade events, the more interactions I had the more opportunities revealed themselves. So, thought number one is taking a walkabout can be very educational and rewarding.
Second, CORT has grown significantly in both existing and new areas during my tenure with the company, and there is plenty of upside left. Much of this growth came through taking educated risks, and while COVID has made the last two years challenging, CORT is by far the strongest, best-positioned company across the industries we serve. Don’t be bashful about chasing that upside or taking risks. Our customers will continue to appreciate us and the work we do on their behalf because of it.”
About CORT
CORT, a part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, is the nation’s leading provider of transition services, including furniture rental for home and office, event furnishings, destination services, apartment locating, touring, and other services. With more than 100 locations including offices, distribution centers, rental showrooms, and retail furniture outlets across the United States, operations in the United Kingdom, and partners in more than 80 countries around the world, no other furniture rental company can match CORT’s breadth of services and companywide commitment to making a house a home, an office a great place to work and an event a memorable celebration. For more information, please visit www.cort.com.
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