Gene Zelazny

Gene was a wonderful and caring person. He helped influence how so many of us communicate to this day. He will be deeply remembered and missed by even those who spent very little time with him. I remember his trainings at the firm vividly and I still keep his books handy as they are timeless. I hope his family will take solace in the fact that he will be remembered by so many and so fondly.

Back in 2012, I was super impressed with this book, and wrote to him from Vancouver Canada. To my huge surprise he called back from NY and we chatted for a long time. He then sent me the signed copy of his book "The Moment". A beautiful life. Well Lived !!

I was at the Firm from 1981 to 1996 and met Gene at the ITP, EMT, and Influencing Skills Workshop. He greatly infuenced me by teaching the power of clean, concise charts; how to stand still and keeping eye contact when giving presentations; and many more communication skills - last not least the power of a pause when giving a speech (I was generally talking too much too fast). Gene even gave me a little card for my desk, showing a vizualization of sound with the title "Listen to the Silence".

Gene was a fantastic teacher, and a great asset to the Firm.

These are wonderful comments about Gene. He was not only very skilled, but very warm and caring as well. He will live on in all of our memories!

Gene Zelazny made us look good. His magic touch on a presentation package brought our ideas to life, made our insights accessible, and made us all appear a lot smarter than we actually were. What an extraordinary life!

Met Gene several times while at the Firm. Only the fondest of memories, always in incredibly good humor and genuine heartfelt advice to improve what we were saying to our clients.

He impacted many generations of Mck consultants and Firm staff in a way that few could have done. He will be missed.

My deepest condolences to his family.

I have such a clear memory of Gene from ITP in 1971 - he led an amazing training session, and after more than 50 years, he is there in my memory. He added so much to the Firm.

I remember Gene from my Introductory Training Program in 1973. I learned much then and I regret not having ready access to him since I was in the Chicago office. I would have used his insights often!

Vale Gene Zelazny. A true hero from his Polish roots to his McKinsey career. "Say it With Charts" was the first and best testament to his legacy! TO and SY 1988-1995.

Condolences to Judy and all of Gene's loved ones. I've heard that people don't necessarily remember what you say but how you made them feel. Even now, the memory of Gene emanates clarity, impact, the juiciness of life. With a watch that says NOW, NOW, NOW 24 times. Love you, Jeannot.

On my second study with the Firm, I created a very complex chart based on some marketing research data. The partner took one look and told me she needed to introduce me to Gene. We walked over to his office, and in one minute, he designed an amazingly clear chart. During the progress review, the CEO stopped the presentation at this chart. He turned to his director of marketing research and said this is the first time he had actually understood these kinds of data. In the future, the director should always use this chart format. This was the first of many collaborations and a long friendship. He was a real genius with always a big smile when we met in the corridors of NYO

I was at the Firm from 1988 to 1991 and met Gene who taught me the beauty and power of clean, concise charts and visual communication. During my post-Firm career, I became the "go to" person for the CEO of my company for his board presentations because in his words, "Kevin knows how to get my messages across to the board in the clearest way". That collaboration lasted well over a decade and led to my future career success. I have Gene to thank for that.

I spent five years at the Firm from 1964 to 1969, and became a great admirer of Gene´s. We both spoke in French to each other, and he was immensely helpful to me by improving my presentations with his ideas. His intelligence and good humor characterized everything he did. My heartfelt sympathy to his family - you (and all of us who knew him) have lost a great man. May he rest in peace.
Dan Martin

So man funny, productive, wonderful memories of working with this man for years...his name will ALWAYS bring a big smile to my face. A positive spirit to all he encountered. Every time I see an overworked slide or a data dump table or chart---which have exploded since PowerPoint--- I think of him asking what are you trying to say here? Can't imagine how McKinsey could have become what it did without his teachings, to what must have amounted to thousands of consultants over his tenure.

I joined the NY Office in 1978 and was lucky enough to work with Gene on numerous client and Firm presentations. He was a true genius in developing charts where the key issue literally "jumped out" to the reader. I use the same principles 45 years later - and pass them along to lots of younger colleagues. His messages were truly timeless. He was a welcoming and gracious individual. It would warm your day to be greeted by Gene in the hall - he genuinely cared about each of us. He will be sorely missed!

It was a honor to be his friend.

Gene was my teacher but more importantly my friend. You will be missed. My sympathy to Judy and the entire family b

Thank you so much "Jeannot" for your teachings and your friendship through the years. Who else has better demonstrated than you that a picture is worth a thousand words? Rest In Peace

I had the pleasure of working with Gene in NYO in 1979. He taught me the power of simplicity. "What is your message?", he asked me when I sought him out. That was about the scariest question for a young research analyst. "I dunno" didn't seem the appropriate answer. But Gene, in a way that only he could, coaxed it out of me. That is how I learned to present ideas. I use it to this day. Thank you, Gene!

Who can forget Gene? Yes, he fundamentally shaped how we SAS consultants communicated. And how today the world´s business people exchange ideas. But more so: how we shape our thinking.
With his mild mannered way, he was forever a wonderful teacher. Always true, always direct.
You will not be forgotten, Gene.
Micky Obermayer

Gene was a titan in his field and a huge influence on my own career. One of the most special things I've done is write a training with him, furthering his legacy of amazing contributions on the world of consulting and communications.

It always felt exceptionally special whenever he shared a story of his life. He made a very important mark on the world and I'll always remember him.

Gene was my mentor, colleague, and friend for nearly 20 years at the Firm. He taught me everything I know about visual presentations, and how to stand in front of a room and keep an audience's attention - even for an entire day. He invited me into his world, and we traveled the country teaching clients and consultants alike. I miss him deeply, and am so very thankful he came into my life. Rest easy, Gene.

So very sorry to hear this news. Gene helped me believe in myself during my early design years. Always ready with a cheery word of encouragement, he was such a passionate and talented communicator. Rest in peace and keep communicating.

An inspirational visual communicator, mentor and friend. Gene showed me how to navigate the playground that is life, rest in peace good buddy

Gene was a powerful and valuable force in my professional development. He coached me away from my nerdish origins as an economist to become a person who loved to mix it up in a roomful of people. And to boot, he was a great and funny guy who always left me in a better mood. He was incredible at what he did, and he will be missed by many colleagues.

Gene was my colleague and my friend. He taught me pretty much everything I know about how to communicate visually. I remember working with him on a high-profile presentation for McKinsey's senior governing council. I came to Gene with what I thought was a fairly complex story about costs, revenues, absolute and relative to various forecasts. He greeted me with his usual "Come on in, good buddy! What's up?". He listened to me blather for a while, then pulled out a blank page off the ream on his desk and drew a couple basic charts. A designer built them in PowerPoint. Gene added a little color--nothing garish, just a little emphasis. Then he layered in an animation--nothing eye-popping, just a little progression over time. We added some things. We removed some things. We played with the animation speeds. We adjusted the colors. With each iteration the story became a little clearer until it was plain as day. It is rare to meet a true master of his craft. Gene was such a master, and more important a deeply caring human being. I am privileged to have known him.

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Gene, but he did have a great impact on my career - his book was something that struck me in my very first training at McKinsey and I referred back to it dearly in the years that followed. My warm condolences to the family

Gene mentored me early on in my career with the Firm. He had a generous spirit. Although were were in different locations, he in NYC and I in Toronto, he invested his knowledge and experience enabling my success. He included me in various projects and introduced me to all kinds of people. He always referred to me as "Good buddy". Rest in peace Gene. You were one of a kind. My sincere condolences to the Zelazny family.

I remember meeting Gene in my early days in the New York Office - he was and is an absolute legend. He taught so many generations of leaders how to be clear and effective communicators. He was so genuine. Condolences for the family's loss - and a wish for continued celebrations of him and his impact.

His ideas and vision have had a profound impact on me, making him an incredibly influential person in my life. May peace embrace him, his family, and all his loved ones.

Gene was one of the most influential characters of my early career. With unflinching directness and a client-first mindset, he taught me (and so many McKinsey colleagues) how to cut the fluff and communicate effectively through simple, clear visualizations and "pages." His legacy will live for generations as former "students" attempt to teach as he did for so long... albeit without his signature *fax* cover page. :)

Thank you, Gene.

David