Becker LLC
2026 Buy Side
M&A Summit

SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2026

The Founders
Location
Speakers
Agenda
Sponsors
Register

About the Founders

Becker is recognized as the leading law firm in the Staffing Industry as the leader in Mergers & Acquisitions. Our team has advised our clients in over ninety Mergers & Acquisition deals in the last six years. Becker has experience representing investors (private equity and other investment backed firms) as well as strategic investors in the acquisition and sale of staffing businesses in healthcare, IT, professional services, light industrial/commercial, skilled trades and hospitality industries.

Becker has handled both Buy and Sale side transactions from pre-LOI planning through post-closing integration. Becker has ten attorneys that dedicate a material portion of their practice to the industry and collectively, provide clients with expertise in finance, tax, corporate structure, HR compliance, goodwill protection and fair competition promotion, compensation strategies and plan, industry contracts and other key risk protection advice.

As part of our commitment to the industry and our clients, Becker tracks Mergers & Acquisition activity in the industry and conducts formal and informal surveys of various trends in the industry ranging from valuation multiples and acquisition activity to best practices in staffing specific diligence and deal terms.

Registration Open

Location

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Kiawah Island is a destination like no other. The island is located in South Carolina’s fabled Lowcountry on a ten mile wide, oceanfront beach surrounded by a paradise of lush maritime forests and winding saltwater marshes where local agriculture and wildlife thrive – giving guests the feeling they are a world away. The resort offers world-class accommodations, amenities, recreation and conference facilities. Conference guests will stay at the Sanctuary Hotel located a few steps from the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel was built in deference to Charleston architecture using Charleston brick along with stone, stucco, cooper and ironwork on the exterior and designed on the interior to be elegant but not too formal in a light southern décor.

Airport: Kiawah Island is located less than 25 miles from Charleston and just 45 minutes from Charleston International Airport (CHS). Uber & Lyft are available at CHS to the Sanctuary, upon returning to CHS, you will need to arrange for transportation through the concierge service. Uber and Lyft do not pick up for any airport transportation from the Sanctuary as it is a private resort.

REGISTRATION OPEN

Our Speakers

Martin L. Borosko
Becker LLC
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Mike Alam
Coneybeare Workforce Solutions
View Bio
Jeff Aplin
Aplin
View Bio
James Carey
Next Sparc Growth Partners
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Jim Childs
Childs Capital Partners
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Mike Cleland
Charted Path
View Bio
Jordan Earnheardt
Civaris Capital Management, LP
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Beth Garvey
Beth Garvey Strategic Partners
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Jerry Grady
UHY
View Bio
Ericka Hyson
Hyson Advisory
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Joel Leege
Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Science
View Bio
John Long
Avionte'
View Bio
Dave MacKeen
Eliassen Group
View Bio
Paul Mehring
Access Capital
View Bio
Patrick Morin
Transact Capital
View Bio
John Neff
SKLD'
View Bio
Mark Roberts
TechServe Alliance
View Bio
Joyce Russell
The Adecco Group
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Steven Talbot
Wynden Stark
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Noah Yosif
American Staffing Associaton
View Bio

2026 Summit Agenda

11:00am – 12:30pm

Check‐in and Registration

11:454am – 1:00pm

Women Leaders in Staffing M&A Welcome Luncheon

1:15 – 1:30pm

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Grand Oaks A & B

1:35– 2:35pm

Opening Panel:  “State of the Staffing Industry – Stalled Out or Ready for Recovery? ”

Grand Oaks A & B

2:40 – 4:00pm

Keynote Discussion: “Alternative Growth: Building Platforms Beyond Traditional Staffing”

 Grand Oaks A & B

4:10 – 5:10pm

Panel Discussion “Adjusted EBITDA: Sorting Through Creative Fiction to Determine Real Earnings”

Grand Oaks A & B

5:20 – 6:20pm

Concurrent Session One: “Key Financial Concepts — Understanding Working Capital and Indebtedness”

Grand Oaks A & B

Concurrent Session Two:  “Master Class — Private Equity and Large Strategic Acquirers Forum”

Grand Oaks C & D

6:45 – 9:30pm

Cocktail Party and Dinner

The Sanctuary Terrace AB and Courtyard

At the conclusion of Day 1 of the Summit, Becker and its sponsors will host a cocktail party and dinner at The Sanctuary Terrace AB and Courtyard. The dinner will feature local low-country cuisine including premier steaks and locally caught, sustainable fish and shellfish paired with a selection of fantastic wines and premium liquor.  

7:00 – 8:00am

Breakfast:  A full breakfast buffet, featuring omelet stations, will be served before the start of the programs in the Grand Oaks Foyer.

8:00 – 9:10am

Keynote Panel:  “Keep or Cut? The Real Economics of Retaining Founders”

Grand Oaks A & B

9:20 – 10:20am

Panel Discussion: “The Producer Retention Playbook: Managing Producer Risk and Compensation Integration in Staffing Acquisitions”

Grand Oaks A & B

10:25 – 11:15am

Industry Specific Break Out Rooms Round 1

Grand Oaks A&B plus Grand Oaks C&D

11:20 – 12:00pm

Industry Specific Break Out Rooms Round 1

Grand Oaks A&B plus Grand Oaks C&D

12:45 – 6:00pm

Networking Activities

At the conclusion Day 2, we are offering all attendees the choice of one of the following afternoon activities:

A round of golf on the world famous Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort or Turtle Point either on Monday or Wednesday pending tee time availability.   Players will have to pick either day at time of registration as there will be limited tee times available.

Located on the eastern-most end of the island, The Ocean Course boasts the most seaside holes in the Northern Hemisphere with ten holes hugging the Atlantic and the other eight holes running parallel to those.  The course is unlike any other golf course in the world, outside the United Kingdom and Ireland.​

A private wine tasting.  Martin Borosko, Becker LLC,  Patrick Morin, Transact Capital and Carl Stecker, Benefits in a Card will be your hosts for a relaxing afternoon of tasting some of their favorites wines. The tasting theme will be comparing wines with similar grape composition is to be determined. The wines will be paired with appetizers selected and prepared by the chef of the Ocean Room.  Limited spots available.

A relaxing afternoon at the spa. Invitees will have the option of an appointment at the “The Spa at the Sanctuary”.  The spa offers a complete escape for the body, mind and spirit inspired by the natural beauty of the low country. Limited spots available.

A pool party sponsored by Nixer Comp. Jennifer Jennings and Valerie Peer will host a pool party at the Sanctuary Pool. Relax and enjoy a few cocktails & snacks by the pool. 

 

REGISTRATION OPEN

Our Sponsors

Conference Founder

BECKER LLC logo

Platinum Sponsors

Nixer Comp logo

Gold Sponsors

Access Capital logo
Avionté logo
Citrin logo
Transact Internal logo

Silver Sponsors

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REGISTRATION OPEN
Martin L. Borosko
Becker LLC

Martin L. Borosko has been the Managing Member of the firm since 2006. Under his leadership, the firm has grown into one of the premier boutique firms with offices in New York, California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Marty leads the Staffing team within the firm dedicated to studying the best legal practices within the Staffing Industry. His philosophy is to direct clients toward legal strategies that facilitate growth and increase enterprise value in the long term. He often works as part of a team with leading investment bankers, accountants and risk managers to implement comprehensive growth strategies for clients.

Marty is a frequent contributor to legal & business publications and lectures across the country on emerging issues impacting the Staffing Industry. He is the Chairman of the Becker Buy-Side M&A Summit, one of the Founders of the Launch Staffing Conference and sits on the TechServe Alliance M&A Marketplace as their designated law firm.

Mike Alam
Coneybeare Workforce Solutions

Mike Alam is a co-Owner and Chief Strategy Officer of Coneybeare Workforce Solutions, a staffing firm established in 1986 that delivers technical and skilled talent to manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure clients. In his role, Mike focuses on growth strategy, partnerships, and ensuring the firm’s services continue to meet the evolving needs of industrial clients. Mike brings nearly two decades of senior leadership experience spanning mergers & acquisitions, corporate development, and corporate banking. Across those roles, he has led strategic growth initiatives, executed multiple platform acquisitions, and structured financing for working capital and investment needs.

This culmination of expertise in strategic decision-making, team management, and driving successful business growth plays a crucial role in identifying new opportunities and building durable partnerships. Mike is known for his approachable leadership style, fostering an environment where all stakeholders feel comfortable and encouraged to share their ideas, promoting effective collaboration on every engagement.

Jeff Aplin
Aplin

Jeff Aplin is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Aplin, a national Canadian staffing firm. Based out of our headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, Jeff is proud to lead Aplin as a consolidator in the talent services industry.

Jeff holds an MBA degree from the University of Calgary and the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation. Jeff was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Award for the  Prairies region.

Jeff has provided his entrepreneurial expertise as a Fellow and facilitator of the Birthing of Giants Fellowship Program at Princeton University, where he has taught from experience about Aplin’s growth strategy.

Today, Jeff continues to build on his tradition of excellence and family business roots, leading by example to create a world-class, winning culture that chases success and rewards growth.

James Carey
Next Sparc Growth Partners

James Carey is a Partner at Next Sparc Growth Partners who leads the Business Development efforts and Strategic Growth Initiatives at the firm. Before joining Next Sparc, James was a Senior Vice President and the Head of Business Development at Peterson Partners, a diversified private investment firm focused on growth equity and venture capital investments. Prior to joining Peterson Partners, James was a Director at H.I.G. Capital, a leading global private equity investment firm with over $55 billion of equity capital under management. James sat across the entire family of funds at H.I.G. Capital throughout his tenure at the firm. Before working with H.I.G. Capital, James was an Associate at New River Capital Partners, an affiliate of Huizenga Holdings, where he was responsible for Corporate Development.

James received a B.S. in Business Administration from The University of Vermont. He has lived in South Florida for over 18 years and enjoys traveling, snowboarding, golf, lacrosse, spearfishing, and mountain biking.

Jim Childs
Child Capital Partners

Jim is the founder and a Principal at Childs Capital Partners. Childs Capital Partners is a value-add private equity firm focused on investing in and supporting growth-oriented businesses. Childs Capital leverages the substantial operating and investing history of its partners to add substantial value to its companies and their management teams. To date, the firm has realized 4 investments with an average IRR of approximately 50%.

In 2007, Jim founded CHILDS Advisory Partners aka Bowstring Advisors, a middle-market mergers and acquisitions advisory firm. CHILDS was the leading boutique in the Human Capital Management space. The firm was named Boutique Investment Bank of the Year in 2016 by M&A Advisor magazine and was acquired in 2019 by Citizens Bank, the 10th largest bank in the USA. As part of the acquisition Jim was named Head of M&A for Citizens and led a national M&A practice until he departed the firm in 2022.
Prior

Mike Cleland
Charted Path

Mike Cleland is the founder of Charted Path, a performance consulting firm for staffing companies, with over 25 years in the industry. Over the last 12 years he has worked with more than 125 staffing firms in every major vertical ranging in size from start-up to $600 million focusing on leadership team development and organizational improvements. In addition, Cleland has worked with private equity firms to assist in the evaluation of potential investments and assisted in post-merger change management initiatives.

His latest book Breaking Through: Leadership Disciplines from Top Performing Staffing Firms was co-authored with Barry Asin, President of SIA, and released in 2018 as a follow-up to Behind the Wheel: Driving Excellence in Staffing Operations. In addition to his extensive consulting experience, Cleland leverages his background as president of a $60M IT staffing firm to provide practical advice that minimizes disruption while implementing improvements that allow companies to achieve break through growth.

Jordan Earnheardt
Civaris Capital Management, LP.

Jordan Earnheardt is the Founder and Managing Partner of
Civaris Capital Management, LP.

Jordan is responsible for developing the firm’s overall investment strategy and operating processes, including investment identification, selection, underwriting, due diligence, transaction execution, and post-closing value creation. He leads the firm’s investment committee and is involved in all aspects of the firm’s operations.

Jordan founded Civaris on the belief that human capital —not financial capital — is the defining driver of business outcomes. The firm applies empirical data, applied science, and pattern recognition to talent assessment, organizational design, and leadership effectiveness — integrating these disciplines into every stage of the investment process.

Prior to founding Civaris, he spent the entirety of his career in the private equity, investment banking, and financial services industries, involved in the execution of billions of dollars of debt and equity transactions. Most recently, he served on the private equity investment team at White Wolf Capital, where he served on the Board of Directors of three portfolio companies, was an observer for several others, and was a member of the firm’s Valuation and Human Capital committees. He previously held roles with PNC Mezzanine Capital, PNC Capital Markets, and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Banking & Capital Markets practice.

Jordan received a BSBA from the University of Pittsburgh with majors in Accounting and Finance, where he graduated magna cum laude. He was formerly a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (inactive) and previously held FINRA Series 7, 63, and 79 licenses (inactive).

Beth Garvey
Beth Garvey Strategic Partners 

Beth Garvey is a former public company Chairman, President, and CEO and the founder of Beth Garvey Strategic Partners, a strategic advisory firm focused on growth strategy, M&A, and organizational transformation.

Beth brings more than 28 years of experience in workforce solutions, including 12 years building and leading BGSF, Inc. (NYSE: BGSF), one of the country’s largest publicly traded workforce solutions companies. As Chairman, President, and CEO, she led nine acquisitions, two significant divestitures and a full-scale enterprise transformation that expanded the company’s footprint across 36 U.S. states and three international markets. She also spearheaded a technology modernization initiative that reshaped the company’s digital infrastructure and competitive position. In addition she championed a people-first culture that unified multiple brands around a shared mission, consistently earning recognition as a Best Place to Work.

Today, Beth advises business leaders and Boards at critical inflection points whether navigating M&A, preparing for a transaction, scaling through growth, or leading through organizational change. She brings a rare combination of operator instinct, boardroom experience, transaction fluency, and cultural transformation expertise allowing her to engage at both the strategic and executional level and ensuring that people and culture remain a driver of business performance.

Beth is on the Board of Directors of the Dallas chapter of the National Association  of Corporate Directors (NACD) a member of International Women’s Forum (IWF), Extraordinary Women on Boards (EWOB)  and serves on the non-profit boards of Junior Achievement of Dallas and the Business Council for the Arts. She is a multi-year honoree for SIA Global Power 150 Women in Staffing, Staffing 100 and D CEO Dallas 500 Business Leader, as well as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

She is based in Plano, Texas.

Jerry Grady
UHY

Jerry Grady has over 35 years in public accounting and he is the leader of the National Staffing Practice. He manages a team of professionals devoted to providing financial, tax, and business consulting services. He helps companies identify tax savings, improve operating efficiencies, and increase profits, as well as assists clients with corporate growth and business management strategies.

Jerry has been a leader in assisting with all required IT control and risk assessments and manages a team of professionals for IFRS engagements. He performs partner reviews on audited, reviewed, or compiled financial statements for private companies. He provides financial and business consulting services to optimize opportunities for growth and profitability. He implemented the ProfitCents Tool used to analyze a company’s financial ratios against its peers to assist in determining a company’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as other technology tools utilized by the Attest teams to improve efficiency and quality of all attest services.

Ericka Hyson
Hyson Advisory

Ericka Hyson is the Founder & CEO of Hyson Advisory, a firm dedicated to empowering staffing industry CEOs to scale with purpose, performance, and impact. With over two decades of executive experience, Ericka has a proven track record of building and leading high-growth companies through every stage of transformation.

Ericka played a key leadership role in growing the IT Staffing firm ettain group from start-up to national powerhouse, and later served as President of WorkN, leading the company to 700% growth and a successful acquisition. A three-time SIA Global Power 150 Woman in Staffing and recognized SIA DE&I Influencer, Ericka now advises CEOs, facilitates workshops and roundtables, is a board member for 2 staffing firms, and mentors the next generation of leaders.

Hyson serves on the ASA Women’s Leadership Council, ASA Membership Committee, and mentors through ASA’s Mentor Match program. 

Joel Leege
Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom

Joel Leege is President of Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom, an operating segment of leading workforce strategy and solutions provider Kelly that delivers staffing and consulting services to leading organizations in North America. In this role, Joel is responsible for accelerating the profitable growth of Kelly’s specialty workforce solutions across the life sciences, engineering, technology, and telecom verticals.  

Joel is an accomplished executive with nearly three decades of experience in staffing, talent solutions, and managed services. Prior to joining Kelly, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Red Oak Technologies, a boutique IT talent solutions firm, where he led high-impact technology services and talent solutions delivery to customers globally.

Joel also spent seven years at Randstad Digital, first as Executive Vice President of Growth, Strategy & Development, and later as Chief Strategy Officer. During his tenure, he led the implementation of organic and inorganic growth initiatives that helped transform the business into a global technology services firm with revenues exceeding $3 billion.

Throughout his career, Joel has consistently emphasized strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and operational optimization, focusing on both organic and inorganic growth. He has held leadership positions at several notable firms, including Prosum, Fahrenheit IT, and Kforce, playing critical roles in market expansions, improving financial performance, and restructuring operations. Joel’s expertise in sales, recruitment, and service delivery, combined with his ability to scale teams and drive profitability, has established him as a key figure in both publicly traded and private equity-backed organizations.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Joel actively contributes to the industry as chair of the board of directors for TechServe Alliance and a frequent guest speaker at industry conferences. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa, a Master’s in Labor Relations and Human Resources from Michigan State University, and a Certificate in Mergers & Acquisitions from the London Business School.

John Long
Avionte'

John Long is Avionté’s co-founder and previous CEO. Long remains financially vested in Avionté and now holds a Co-Chairman position alongside Serent Capital. Long has always been passionate about Avionté’s customers and providing best-in-class software and services.

 In his role, Long now works as a true ambassador for Avionte’s 500+ customers by engaging with them on a more direct level, to understand their needs and help shape the product vision.

With his intense passion for staffing law and his deep commitment to the staffing industry, Long also works to gather the pulse of the industry and ensure all staffing companies have the tools to thrive.

Dave MacKeen
Eliassen Group

As the CEO of Eliassen Group, Dave MacKeen leads the company’s strategic direction and drives its ongoing growth. With more than 30 years of experience in the workforce solutions and technology consulting industry, Dave has held several key leadership roles, including CFO and president, before becoming CEO in 2010. Under his leadership, Eliassen Group has secured three private equity partnerships, most recently with Stone Point Capital, positioning the company for continued transformational growth and success.

 

Throughout his career, Dave has earned numerous accolades for his leadership, including being named to Staffing Industry Analysts’ annual Staffing 100 North America list for seven consecutive years, and a total of nine times. In 2022, he was inducted into the Staffing 100 Hall of Fame in recognition of his long-standing impact on the industry. Dave was honored as the 2021 Citizens Middle Market Executive of the Year by the Boston Business Journal. Additionally, he was recently inducted into the Smart Business Boston Dealmakers Hall of Fame in March 2025.

 

Beyond his work at Eliassen Group, Dave is actively involved in several boards and advisory roles. He serves on the Endicott College Gerrish School of Business Advisory Board, St. John’s Prep Trustee Associate Board, and the Executive Board for Van Noy Valor Foundation. Formerly Dave was on the Board of the Bentley Executive Club for 12 years.

Paul Mehring
Access Capital

Paul Mehring is the Chief Lending Officer of Access Capital, specializing in overseeing the company’s New Business and Underwriting departments. Paul first joined Access Capital in 1990 and his overall experience in finance spans over 30 years.

Paul has a long record of successfully executing Access Capital’s time-honored tradition of supporting the growth of entrepreneurially run companies in the staffing industry. His objective involves taking the time to fully understand the strategic goals of Access Capital’s clients and leading his team in structuring customized financing solutions that provide the necessary capital to achieve those goals whether through organic growth or via acquisitions.

Paul holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Finance from Villanova University. He proudly serves as an Industry Partner member of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance and is also a member of the American Staffing Association, TechServe Alliance, Staffing Industry Analysts, and New York Staffing Association as well as various credit granting organizations in the New York area. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and children.

Access Capital has partnered with staffing entrepreneurs for 35 years providing strategic growth capital to support their success. Aligning with Access Capital allows staffing firms to focus on scaling their business utilizing flexible and effective financial solutions from Asset Based Lending to Acquisition Financing. Access Capital …For the Life of Your Company!

Patrick Morin
Transact Capital

Patrick Morin is a Partner with Transact Capital Partners, a Richmond, Virginiabased investment banking firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions of privately-owned companies with enterprise values up to $100MM. Transact serves clients int the multifamily, technology, manufacturing, logistics, financial, and staffing industries.

He was also one of the founding partners of BrightHammer, LLC., a global consultancy engaged by private equity groups, boards of directors, and CEOs to improve the performance of their invested companies. BrightHammer works with select start-ups, growth companies, and turnarounds to stabilize operations and ramp up revenue and employee performance.

Prior to his current engagement, he was seven years as Senior Vice President with Cornerstone Realty Income Trust, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-traded company that owned and operated over 24,000 apartments.

Before joining Cornerstone, Mr. Morin was with Dale Carnegie Training for five years and was an instructor for almost two decades. He was certified to lead all Dale Carnegie programs, but specialized in The Sales Advantage, LeadershipTraining for Managers, and High Impact Presentations. He was ranked among the top instructors globally and was a member of the elite Global Delivery Team.

While a member of the National Speakers Association, he personally conducted thousands of keynotes and training meetings for businesses, associations, government agencies and community groups. Notable groups he’s addressed include: National Association of Women In Construction, NASA, the National Ground Intelligence Center, DEA, the National Independent Staffing Association, The National Apartment Association, and McDonalds, and the International Council Of Shopping Centers.

Mr. Morin appears on television, radio, and in print as an authority in his field and wrote a weekly column on sales for the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal and www.lendio.com.

In addition to having served on the boards of several local charities including the YMCA and the Franks Foundation, Mr. Morin served on the Board of Directors for Wintergreen Resort for four years.

John Neff
SKLD'

Jon Neff is a distinguished financial executive and operations leader with more than 25 years of experience in scaling high-growth businesses and building award-winning workplace cultures. Recognized as a Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) North America Staffing 100 influencer, he has consistently demonstrated expertise in driving organizational transformation and sustainable growth.

As Co-Founder and Chief Financial & Operations Officer of Hire Dynamics, Neff played a pivotal role in building one of the nation’s top 20 industrial staffing providers. Under his leadership, the company achieved remarkable success, earning recognition in the top 1% of U.S. staffing companies for 15 consecutive years in both employee and client satisfaction (NPS) by ClearlyRated. He successfully scaled the organization to a $450M enterprise with 70 branches across the Southeast, skillfully navigating multiple acquisitions, including a transformative merger that doubled the company’s market presence.

In 2016, Neff orchestrated a strategic recapitalization with MSouth Equity Partners, which led to quadruple growth in just five years and ultimately culminated in a successful exit to Employbridge, an Apollo Global portfolio company and the largest industrial staffing provider in the U.S.

Throughout his tenure at Hire Dynamics, Neff demonstrated exceptional proficiency in strategic financial leadership, operational excellence, and scalable

Mark Roberts
TechServe Alliance

Mark Roberts is CEO of TechServe Alliance, the national trade association serving IT and engineering staffing and solutions firms. Roberts is a noted authority and spokesperson on industry trends. Under his leadership since 2003, the organization has expanded significantly moving beyond traditional association offerings creating multiple innovative programs designed to drive member firm growth and profitability. From its unique member-owned insurance programs, M&A Marketplace program to TechServe 360, its newly launched back-office outsourcing service, Roberts has led the organization through its transformation.

Before joining TechServe Alliance, Mr. Roberts was a partner in the Labor and Employment Group of a major law firm and served four years on Capitol Hill. He earned his undergraduate degree from Haverford College and his law degree with distinction from Emory University. Mr. Roberts currently serves as a member of the Labor Relations Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has been repeatedly named to the Staffing Industry 100 List and is a member of the Hall of Fame.

Joyce Russell
The Adecco Group U.S. Foundation

As President of the Adecco Group U.S. Foundation, Joyce Russell is driving meaningful change with a bold vision: to upskill America’s workforce and champion workplace inclusivity for all. Since its launch in 2019, the Foundation has made remarkable strides in creating new avenues for career growth and greater economic opportunities for American workers.

With over 30 years in the workforce solutions industry, Joyce began her career at Adecco USA, part of the Adecco Group. She proudly served as President from 2004 to 2018, overseeing a $2.3 billion P&L. A cornerstone of Joyce’s leadership is her deep commitment to elevating people, fostering meaningful relationships, and transforming communities by connecting individuals and organizations to create positive, lasting impact.

Outside of her work at the Foundation, Joyce is an influential voice on several boards and initiatives. She serves on the board of Celsius Holdings, Inc., where she chairs the Human Resources & Compensation Committee. Joyce also held the role of Chairman of the American Staffing Association’s Board of Directors during the 2020-2021 term, and continues to serve as a board member. She is a board member of Dress for Success Worldwide, a founding member of Paradigm for Parity, and a member of prestigious organizations including C200, National Association of Corporate Directors, the International Women’s Forum, and Women Corporate Directors.

A recognized leader, author, and speaker, she is especially known for her empowering impact on women in leadership. Joyce has shared her insights at globally recognized events, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Joyce holds a Bachelor of Arts in business and communications from Baylor University.

Steven Talbot
Wynden Stark

Steven M. Talbot is the Founder & CEO of Wynden Stark, a group of search, staffing, workforce solutions, and software companies, including GQR, Uniti Med, Recruiting Resources and Nebula. Wynden Stark also operates a small ventures fund, investing in seed and early-stage talent and technology companies. With 20 years of industry experience, Steven has a proven record of accelerating growth through organic expansion, M&A, and technology-driven innovation.

Wynden Stark’s companies have earned recognition for both performance and culture, including several of SIA’s rankings for Largest Staffing Firms, Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms and Best Staffing Firms to Work For. Additional honors include multiple Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing, Forbes Best Recruiting Firms, Fortune Best Workplaces and Great Place to Work® certifications.

An SIA 40 Under 40 honoree and advocate of conscious capitalism and self-determination, Steven shares lessons from his experience as a founder and operator on fundraising, executing M&A strategy, scaling with operational discipline, building aligned high-performance cultures, and driving commercial outcomes.

Noah Yosif
American Staffing Association

Noah Yosif serves as Chief Economist at the American Staffing Association in Alexandria, VA. In this role, he oversees thought leadership supporting policy advocacy on behalf of the US temporary help services industry by highlighting the contributions of companies and their employees to the greater labor market. He also serves on the Economic Advisory Committee of the World Employment Confederation, a group of research professionals representing an alliance of global recruitment and employment industry trade groups. In this capacity, he advises business leaders and policymakers on emerging trends within global labor markets, as well as workforce development solutions which enable a more efficient, inclusive, and enduring labor force.

Noah possesses over a decade of experience at the nexus between economic research and policy analysis. He previously served at the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions as an Economist in its Research Department, as well as the Independent Community Bankers of America as the organization’s first Director of Economic and Policy Research.

He is a prolific speaker on labor market trends, and his commentary is often featured within major financial media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg, Fox Business, Kiplinger, as well as Schwab Markets. He holds an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to an MA in Applied Economics as well as a BA in Economics from the George Washington University.