Catherine King

Appointed by the Adecco Group's Board of Directors in Zurich to lead a B2B organization generating 1 billion in revenue (GBS) out of an economy in crisis. Group included five leading brands serving general and professional markets: Adecco Staffing, Ajilon Professional, Computer People, Office Angels, Roevin Engineering & Scientific. The strategy focused on four pillars of business: People, Culture, Organizational Structure and Design, resulting in balance sheet optimization and business stabilization.

• People/Culture:
  • Appointed new leadership to board: Forged team of interdependent, cooperative Managing Directors for brands and developed leaders that worked together as one unified team.
  • Promoted a customer-centric ethos, establishing a "customer is boss" edict across the entire enterprise, resulting in:
  • Customer retention of top 25 strategic customers representing 50% of group turnover
  • Created winning sales culture: Won the official recruitment agency partnership for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, resulting in positive national public relations (BBC, Financial Times and Daily Telegraph interviews), elevating Adecco into a super-brand
  • Invested and launched three professional lines into the group portfolio to serve white-collar professional contract, temp and RPO markets (Ajilon Professional, Roevin Scientific and Adecco Group Solutions for MSP/RPO market)
• Organization Structure/Design:
  • Created shared services among head office functions
  • Integration of group's back and middle office systems (Peoplesoft implementation)
  • Reduction of operating costs by over 50%
  • Cash collection/10-day DSO improvement year over year, boosting cash flow
  • Returned profitable operating margins

Serving as chief strategic officer of an international provider of background screening and drug testing services. Provide sharp focus on the future direction of HRPLUS, including the development of new products and technology, ensuring the continued financial strength and quality of the organization through sustaining its mission of excellence.

Key Accomplishments & Responsibilities:

• Launched new products, service offerings in post-hire and B2C markets
• Established a transparent and highly visible management approach, emphasizing integrity, a collaborative work environment and culture of accountability
• Mentored and engaged a well functioning management team to achieve results focused on improving customer satisfaction, quality, and financial performance.
• Identified and recruited industry sales professionals in the key areas of  HRO in order to grow volume, market share, and profit margins
• Created an atmosphere of continuous improvement and assure that all service lines are delivering high quality
• Establish and maintain processes and procedures that meet all governmental and external compliance requirements
• Represent HRPLUS in all community, regulatory, and governmental affairs and build meaningful and productive relationships with related parties; actively engage in community awareness and support
• Assist the Board of Directors in policy development; ensure the proper implementation of Board policies
• Assist the Chairman of the Board in structuring Board agendas; report at Board and Committee meetings; ensure the maintenance of proper corporate records.

Consistently delivered strong operational and financial results for this Fortune 500 company offering staffing solution services; company generates $5.3 billion in revenues, operates in 30 countries and territories, and provides employment annually to 700,000+ employees with a range of skills (office services, finance, accounting, engineering, IT, law, science, marketing, light industrial, education, etc.).

Appointed by the Chairman of the Board in Troy, Michigan, to head a Special Taskforce to lead a turnaround/change initiative for Kelly U.K./Ireland. Provide managerial oversight to commercial and professional operations, finance, IT, human resources strategic sales and marketing functions. Manage nine direct reports and serve on the Board of Directors. Full P&L responsibility.

• Set a new vision and strategic direction (including a new brand identity to be deployed on a global scale) and launched a three-pillar strategy for improving health of business mix into higher-margin areas.
• Won and transitioned over 3000 positions for major pharmaceutical and BPO companies. Won $100 million in Vendor Management / Outsourcing contracts for EMEA.
• Expanded professional, technical, and staffing lines of business by opening six new branches in Education, Finance, IT, Science and Engineering in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. Increased perm revenue to $18 million, with productivity improving 30% year-over-year and introduced a new perm line in Specialty Markets in six “hub” centers across the UK and Ireland.

Held general management and P&L responsibility for the Major Markets Division in the U.S. (450 branches across the country; turnover of ~$1 billion); division managed volumes of 1 million hours per week. Oversaw commercial operations, human resources, finance, service, national sales, and national direct hire (permanent placement). Managed 11 direct reports and chaired the panel of Senior Executives for Chairman’s Council on Diversity.

Challenged to drive an aggressive turnaround and change initiative for the Canadian operations ($350 million in revenues; branch network in every province). Given P&L responsibility and general management authority for the entire enterprise, including operations, finance, IT, HR, strategic sales, marketing, and service functions. Managed seven direct reports and served on the Board of Directors.

• Led a successful turnaround and change effort that increased revenues 16%, improved market position from #4 to #2, reduced expenses 10%, and grew margins 2.5% and profit 32%.
• Launched professional specialty lines in Finance, IT, Science and Engineering, and achieved significant growth in science and IT – attained profitability in the first year and reached 10% of total revenues in 2003.

Assumed the leadership role of a niche, specialty creative staffing agency of 12 offices in six states.  Oversaw all aspects of operations, finance, human resources, and marketing and information technology. Managed 10 direct reports (Regional Operations Directors, Human Resources, IT, CFO, Marketing Directors); held P&L responsibility.

• Created a new brand and identity for the company, launched the brand on the Internet and a web portal for creative designers and web-artists to publish their work, and developed new advertising and marketing campaigns.
• Improved cash flow through collecting $1 million in outstanding debt.
• Secured Nike, MGM and Adobe as customers through launching an effective national sales strategy. 

Continually promoted to a senior executive position with this $22.8 billion global company providing staffing solutions across the skills spectrum (office, light industrial and electronics, finance, legal, engineering, technical, IT, medical, marketing, human capital); company has operations in 80 countries and 6600 branch operations around the world.  Given P&L responsibility for field operations in California, Oregon and Washington. Led a five-person team of Regional Vice Presidents, and a branch and on-site network of 200 generating combined revenues of $300 million.

Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education prepares talented professionals from all over the world for new levels of leadership in their careers and within their organizations.