Agenda & Sessions

Should you be worried about a recession? What’s the forecast on inflation? What issues are impacting global markets? How are central banks responding? These questions and more will be answered during this session, setting the table for your firm to explore various growth strategies.

Join Jeff Silber as he provides an overview of the current workforce solutions market in 2023 including major trends and developments. Using the most current market data, name will reference specific areas staffing firms should consider as they position themselves for growth in 2024 and beyond.

As a firm owner/CEO sometimes it can be difficult to determine how the market values your firm. What determines whether a firm is a good investment? What causes valuations to lag? During this session, Tobey Sommer from Truist Securities will examine those questions and provide case studies and examples of strategies firms are employing to differentiate themselves and boost their market values.

Analysts from presenting firms will answer your specific questions regarding the workforce solutions market and current trends.

For staffing companies flirting with the idea of acquisition via a private equity firm, the process for making such important and strategic decisions can be confusing and frustrating, especially when the staffing company has all its financial ducks in a row and is still unable to get the attention of investors. In this session, Levine of Stone Point Capital will go over the factors that contribute to private equity’s valuation of firms, including determining factors that go beyond the balance sheet. He will also cover criteria that companies should consider when trying to determine whether the move is the correct one for them. Through looking at actual case studies and factors that private equity firms use in their determinations, owners and executives will walk away with better knowledge of how to prepare their companies for acquisition and/or determine whether they should consider acquisition through private equity at all.

So you’re on the fence about private equity. You understand how the arrangement works and how it might fit into your overall growth strategy. You just wish you had a crystal ball to see how it will all pan out. During this session, learn what to expect before, during, and after being acquired via private equity. Learn directly from a firm and their private equity partner on how to leverage the relationship to achieve your goals.

Although transaction volume decreased in 2022 due to broader macroeconomic headwinds, M&A activity in the staffing industry remains robust relative to pre-2021 levels. Additionally, transaction multiples continue to be at historically high levels for exceptional staffing companies. Executives often wonder what drives valuation in a transaction, and what actions can business owners take to improve the valuation of their business in a transaction. This session will focus on key drivers of staffing company valuations to help owners unlock value in a sale transaction with a private equity group or a strategic buyer.

Representatives from private equity firms will answer your questions about acquisition and what to expect.

This strategic discussion focuses on proposed and current laws and regulations affecting the staffing industry in other countries and the groups and movements behind them. Through understanding the regulatory trends occurring overseas, you will be better equipped to identify similar domestic trends and plan accordingly. What can we as an industry do on the front lines to protect and advance industry interests?

Roz Hudnell, who as Intel’s first chief diversity officer led the company’s $1 billion commitment to diversity and launched a transformation of the tech industry, will lead this masterclass using quantitative, qualitative, and experiential case studies to deliver an executive tool kit you can use at your company immediately. Hudnell’s unique and highly effective approach is pragmatic and practical with a business growth mindset focused on realistic results. Her deep and unparalleled experience working with c-suite executives from major corporations, White House officials, and World Economic Forum staff allows her to deliver a targeted, comprehensive executive learning experience that allows leaders to strategically navigate critical decisions that will shape the future of their company and their industry.

This is not your typical diversity, equity, and inclusion training. Hudnell will guide you so that you can develop your own strategic and specific vision and objectives for company change and performance. This experience will also hone your ability to lead other leaders and company executives toward meaningful DE&I objectives and vision for the future.

The M&A landscape is ever shifting, and competition continues to increase in the staffing space so it’s important for owners to appreciate what characteristics create the strongest interest for buyers. It can make a significant difference for companies to thoughtfully use the time well before an event to take steps to ensure they have built and invested in what can maximize shareholder value.

Bret Schoch, who leads Baird Global Investment Banking’s Human Capital Management practice, will provide commentary on his experience selling high-quality organizations and share what companies can do to differentiate themselves from being “another staffing company.” Hear more on what we’ve seen from industry leaders and what emerging companies can do to rise to the top.

There has been an evolution in the mergers and acquisition space. We now need to think beyond the customary human capital and M&A market. This strategic discussion goes deep into the underbelly of deals; this is not your traditional M&A session on volumes and valuation. Attendees will delve into the nuances of recent M&A transactions including negotiation, structure, and tactics.

Where do you start when you’ve reached the size where growth through acquisitions becomes a viable strategy? Join Paul Pincus from the law firm Ortoli Rosenstadt and Katrina Leslie from Swipejobs to explore the benefits and risks of acquisitions versus organic growth, in addition to looking at how buyers’ approach to acquisitions has changed in recent years. Examine what buyers look for in a potential seller, including red flags. And, finally, learn how to prepare for the acquisition process once you’ve committed to it. This session is a must for firms considering growth through acquisitions or firms considering a sale.

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions, many companies opt to integrate teams and day-to-day operations over a longer period of time. While that may be the right strategy for some, Bullhorn has found that a rapid approach to integration leads to happier customers, higher-performing teams with a more cohesive culture, and success in achieving your pro forma goals. In this session, Papas will challenge the conventional wisdom of integrating slowly to minimize turbulence and disruption through sharing Bullhorn’s experience with fast-moving M&A integrations to drive successful outcomes.

This is a unique opportunity to have pose your most pressing questions about M&A and investment banking processes straight to the experts.

Record levels of turnover, drops in productivity from burnout, candidates just not showing up, and a complete uprooting of organizational culture due to expanding hybrid schedules. More than ever, an organization’s approach to organizational development and employee engagement is becoming a large factor in market differentiation. In order to understand this phenomenon and begin to craft a strategy on how to address the challenges, Gallup’s Stephanie Marken will review current data and provide insights on what organizations are doing to ensure that they are prepared for the current evolution in work culture.

Can you grow a people-first culture and build a framework that replicates success at the same time? What do our new ways of working compared to 2020 have to do with it? And how is all of this impacting our people? During this strategic discussion, Daniel Masata will navigate you through what staffing executives should be thinking about right now, how this will change over time, and how you can make the best of that change to come.

In 2022 Insight Global launched the Compass Culture Academy to great accolades within the industry. The purpose is summed up by the statement, “when your people thrive so does your business. We inspire greatness in people.” This seems like a common-sense mantra in today’s age of competitive advantage through human capital. Then why do so many businesses fail at it? Join Insight Global Health President Jessica Calzaretta as she explores that question and provides key insights on how staffing firms can champion engagement to realize growth.

Our leadership and culture panel will answer your most pressing questions on leadership, engagement, talent management, and organizational culture.

From digital platforms to automation and AI to virtual interviewing, technological advances in the staffing industry have accelerated tenfold over the last several years. This session will deliver an overview and expert analysis on which technologies warrant concern versus those that provide investment opportunities for firms looking to grow through technological modernization. In the end, figuring out how to leverage new technologies, whether they be disruptive or additive, will be the differentiating factor in firms that succeed and fail in the new digital landscape.

What CEOs Need to Know Now About Cybersecurity
Jim Tiller, chief information security officer, Nash Squared and Harvey Nash

A 2022 study by leading cybersecurity firm Positive Technologies found that 93% of company networks are at risk of breach by cybercriminals. Furthermore, insurance brokerage firm Assurance estimates the average cost of a breach of 100,000 records could be up to half a million dollars for a staffing firm. Even when properly insured, a mishandled breach could result in significant loss for a firm.

The posture on cybersecurity has moved from preventing breaches to planning for when they occur. With the continuing maturity of criminal organizations and the new complexity of their methods for infiltrating your networks, firms face an unprecedented challenge in defending their data. From ensuring your firm has adequate levels of cybersecurity insurance to being educated on trends in cybersecurity crimes, the imperative for owners and CEOs to be knowledgeable about cybersecurity has never been higher. This session will provide expert tips on how to prepare your firm in the face of threats.

Building Your Tech Stack for Competitive Advantage
Sara Moss, vice president, technology advisory, Newbury Partners

A firm’s tech stack has become yet another factor in its valuation. In addition, a well-tuned tech stack that reflects a firm’s strategic mission and vision can become the secret sauce that differentiates it in the crowded market. While many firms build their tech stack based on where they are, firms interested in leveraging their stacks for growth will need to focus on where they want to be. This includes looking at how their systems may integrate with other systems upon acquisition, what resources will be required for future maintenance, and the likelihood of tech venders exiting the marketplace or being acquired themselves. This can be a lot for a CEO or owner to keep track of, especially if you come from a nontechnical background. This session will provide you with a pathway for evaluating your current tech stack and begin planning for future growth.

For the non-technologists, the complexity of the current tech landscape can be confusing. This expert technology panel will answer your questions and break down what you need to know when making investments in new technology.

As you prepare to return to your organization with new potential growth strategies in mind, explore one firm’s journey through multiple growth strategies over the course of a decade to find the right mix that led to exponential growth and success.

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