Kelly, a leading global specialty talent solutions provider, announced that Chris Layden has been selected to serve as president and chief executive officer, effective September 2, 2025. Layden will succeed Peter Quigley, who previously announced his intent to retire as president and chief executive officer. Quigley will remain as a strategic advisor to Kelly to ensure a smooth transition and will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors until the Company’s next Annual Shareholders Meeting in May 2026.
Layden is a dynamic industry leader with extensive experience leading organizations through transformations to advance go-to-market initiatives and accelerate profitable growth. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of Prolink, a workforce solutions provider offering staffing, technology, culture, data, and talent experience solutions throughout the United States. Under Layden’s leadership, Prolink achieved rapid organic growth and significantly strengthened its competitive positioning through enhancements to its operational capabilities and service delivery, while also transforming its technology processes and platforms. Prior to joining Prolink, Layden spent nearly two decades at ManpowerGroup, a global workforce solutions company, serving in a range of senior roles spanning general management, regional leadership, corporate strategy, and sales. During his tenure at ManpowerGroup, he successfully led enterprise-wide initiatives, executed multiple business transformations, and was a significant contributor to the company’s growth in the life sciences, engineering, and technology verticals.
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“We are confident Chris’s skills and experience make him uniquely well-qualified to serve as president and chief executive officer as we enter the next phase of Kelly’s strategic evolution and build on the tremendous progress the Company has made during Peter’s tenure. Chris’s selection follows a rigorous search process with the full board’s engagement. He brings a track record of executing enterprise-scale transformations and driving commercial excellence, as well as visionary leadership that aligns well with our commitment to accelerate profitable growth and value creation,” said Terrence Larkin, chairman of Kelly’s board of directors.
Layden said, “I have been impressed by Kelly’s evolution and momentum, and am excited by the opportunity to serve as president and chief executive officer of this iconic company and build on a strong foundation to drive profitable growth and value for customers, talent, employees, and shareholders. I look forward to working with Peter as I transition into the Company and partnering with the talented Kelly team to seize on the tremendous opportunities ahead.”
Larkin continued, “The board and I extend our appreciation to Peter for his significant contributions to Kelly over his distinguished 22-year career with the Company. His leadership and passion for serving customers and cultivating top talent have been instrumental to Kelly’s transformation into a leading global specialty talent solutions provider.”
Quigley said, “Over the last five years, we have made great strides on Kelly’s specialty journey, significantly increasing the Company’s profitability by shifting toward higher margin, higher growth business and enhancing our organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Together, these actions have improved Kelly’s financial profile to the best place it has been in 25 years. Under Chris’s leadership, I’m confident Kelly will reach new heights, and I look forward to working with him and the board to ensure a smooth transition.”
Source: GlobeNewswire
