10 Things You Didn’t Know About Keith Melnick
Keith Melnick is an American businessman. He is the current CEO of the successful online insurance comparison marketplace called Zebra. Melnick has made a habit out of building companies he works for into organizations that grow and expand into thriving businesses. If you’re not yet familiar with his accomplishments, here are 10 things you didn’t know about Keith Melnick to help you become better acquainted with him.
1. Keith Melnick is the top brass at The Zebra
According to Topio Networks, Melnick was elected the president of the number one online company that is known as The Zebra. He joined the organization in September of 2017. Although it’s a relatively new company, founded in 2012, The Zebra has become one of the most popular insurance comparison sites on the internet today. Melnick is leading the enterprise forward into even greater heights of success.
2. Keith is an adventurous type of entrepreneur
Keith Melnick has led a very exciting life. He has traveled around the world and made his home in a variety of different cities. He enjoys seeing new places. He has traveled throughout multiple regions to sample food and beverages in over 40 different countries. Melnick has even made his home in a few of them. Melnick has lived in Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, in Australia, and Switzerland, among others.
3. He is also a family man
When Keith is not working or traveling the globe, he has a stable and comfortable home life. He gets to enjoy life to the fullest with a family to come home to. Keith is married and the couple has three kids together as well as a dog. They enjoy watching the Cubs play ball, and one of his favorite things to do is spend time with them. Melnick knows the value of balancing his professional and personal lives so one does not take precedent over the other.
4. He has a diverse and solid education
According to his LinkedIn page, Keith Melnick graduated from high school then enrolled in college. He enrolled in classes at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1987. He studied mechanical engineering. Melnick graduated with his bachelor of science degree in the discipline in 1991. He took two years off from college but returned in 1993 to pursue his MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of business. He graduated with his master’s in 1996.
5. Keith didn’t start at the top
Mr. Melnick’s first job after receiving his MBA wasn’t a high-paid executive position. Like most people, he had to work his way up the career ladder. He was hired by American Airlines as a team leader in 1996. He worked in this position for three years before leaving the airline in 1999.
6. He left American Airlines for a better job
In May of 1999, Keith was hired by a company called the Boston Consulting Group. This is the company that eventually became Orbitz. He served as a manager at the firm. This was a step up in responsibility for him and it helped him to hone his leadership skills with responsibility for managing a team of employees. He left the Boston Consulting Group in February of 2004 after working there for 4 years and 10 months. Keith’s resume shows that he was responsible and didn’t leave one job until he had other work lined up. He maintained a strong employment record that shows his mature work ethic.
7. He left the Boston Consulting Group to work at Kayak
Melnick joined the Kayak company in 2004 t its Stamford, Connecticut location. This is a large company that employs over 1,000 workers. The business was founded in 2004 and Keith was able to get in on the ground floor in a leadership position. he served as president of the company from February of 2004 until August of 2017 when he left to pursue other interests. Keith was employed in this executive leadership position for 13 years and 7 months. He had been with Kayak the longest time of any of his other jobs but it was time for him to move on to a new career adventure.
8. Keith Melnick is a co-founder of Kayak
According to Thrive Global, Keith was not only the president of Kayak, but he is also one of the co-founders that were instrumental in launching the successful online travel business. This isn’t the information that he shares on his LinkedIn page, so it gives us a clue that he is a humble guy. He disclosed that while he was at Kayak, he became president toward the end of his time working there. He worked in many different roles with the business, as he was learning about leadership.
9. His hobbies have helped to shape his life
When asked if Keith had any tips to offer other people in leadership he recommends having hobbies. This fits in with having a good work/personal life balance. He enjoys cooking as a creative outlet that helps him to see that most mistakes can be fixed. This is one of his key philosophies for being a competent leader. It’s important to him to acknowledge mistakes and then to fix them. He also works out daily to help him maintain better focus.
10. Keith Melnick keeps traveling
Melnick also shared that a part of his life’s journey includes traveling to different cultures throughout the world. He likes to visit different places and meet the people there. He shared that meeting people from different cultures helps him to gain a perspective on what it means to be human. In the end, one of the most important things that all people want is to live a happy life, to feel safe, and to share life with the people they love. Keith Melnick is a leader who seems to have his life together. At the present, he seems to be living the American dream.
