Robert (Bob) Firnhaber grew up in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He is a 1957 graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Firnhaber held short stints with the U.S. Army and the Edsel Division of Ford Motor Company before joining Hallmark Cards, Inc. in October 1958. With Hallmark, Firnhaber spent 14 years in the field sales force as a salesman, District Manager, and Regional Manager before relocating to Kansas City in 1972 as Marketing Manager for Hallmark brand greeting card lines. In 1995, following several promotions to roles of increasing responsibility, Firnhaber was named President, Hallmark Marketing Corporation, responsible for sales and retail for all Hallmark brands in North America. Firnhaber retired from Hallmark in 1998.

Firnhaber worked and volunteered in the non-profit sector for many years. He was a member of the board of 18th & Vine Authority and Marketing Committee chairman for American Jazz Museum, a member and past president of the board of trustees of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and a current ex-officio board member and past board chairman of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City.