Bernard Kim, CEO of Match Group and BC ’98, began his journey of fostering meaningful relationships as a young child growing up in a strict Korean household, where he and his older sister would play video games together into the wee hours of the night.
“The reason that I loved video games so much growing up was the human connection that I [could] create with my older sister,” Kim said. “I always looked up to [her], and video games really brought that feeling of connection and that shared interest.”
The Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics hosted Kim in the Fulton Honors Library on Friday as part of their “Lunch with a Leader” event series. Kim shared stories from college to his current position managing apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, Hyperconnect, and more.
During his time at BC, Kim said he built a strong community by bringing students together and organizing gaming tournaments between dorms.
“We’ve played FIFA or Madden or NHL hockey … and that’s when I felt like so alive in this great community of competitive and well rounded people,” said Kim.
Kim also recounted a class presentation he and his former classmate delivered in which they invited their friend, a “wizard,” to play games live alongside their talk in the class lecture hall.
“In the finale, when I was like, ‘Multi-billion dollar revenue business,’ he had this Mario move that was insane, and the whole place just went nuts,” Kim said. “I got a standing ovation.”
After BC, Kim moved to California to join a San Diego-based tech company, Qualcomm, where he said he entered a dark period of his life, navigating a new city without friends or family.
“The one thing that you can take away from this talk is that life is a roller coaster, and you have to endure the tough times to make it through,” Kim said.
Kim went on to join the Walt Disney Company for a few years, before developing a billion dollar business at Electronic Arts (EA), after which he said he felt ready to retire.
“My plan was like, I’m not going to work anymore,” said Kim. “I’m just going to buy a house on the beach, chill out with my family, focus on fatherhood, and all that stuff. I learned within three weeks that was not the lifestyle. I failed utterly at retirement.”
Now, Kim said his position at Match Group allows him to continue building purposeful relationships that create positive experiences for people around the world.
“This quest of wellness, happiness—it really comes down to those moments,” said Kim. “Walking on campus feeling that vibe of a community. That moment, like I saw my wife across the room. That’s a human connection that has led to unimaginable amounts of happiness and content, stability … so that started my journey of like becoming CEO of the company.”
Kim also said networking is not just within reach for extroverts, but also quieter individuals, adding that public speaking is not an inherent skill to him.
“It’s like a video game,” Kim said. “You only have a certain amount of extroverted energy … it’s hard to do, but it’s worth it … building it over time, practicing like how you do any sport.”
Concluding his talk, Kim emphasized the importance of relationships in both business and personal life.
“What I love to do is collect experiences and connections,” Kim said. “I have [an] epic or legendary squad of mentors, incredible people that I could call on at any moment or text in any moment, and they’ll be there for me.”
