Staffing Innovator Is Credited With Pioneering Concept of Professional Staffing Services

The American Staffing Association today inducted Harold M. “Max” Messmer Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Menlo Park, CA-based Robert Half International Inc., into the ASA Leadership Hall of Fame. Messmer was honored during the opening general session of Staffing World® 2016, the association’s annual convention and expo. The award was created in 1985 to recognize outstanding individual contributions made through dedicated service to ASA and the staffing industry.

“I am delighted to welcome Max Messmer to join the ASA Leadership Hall of Fame—all staffing industry visionaries and thought leaders,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “Max is a trailblazer who has contributed to the advancement of ASA and the entire staffing industry. During his tenure as Robert Half CEO, Max not only led the company’s incredible growth, but also pioneered providing accounting and finance professional staffing services—and created an entirely new way of work for both businesses and employees. Over the years, his steadfast commitment to quality, integrity, innovation, and advancing industry professionalism has been an example to us all.”

During his tenure as CEO, Messmer has led the growth of Robert Half from a small business with revenues of $7 million in 1986, to a global company with operations in more than 400 locations and revenues surpassing $5 billion today. He has served as a member of the ASA board of directors, chairman of the ASA strategic planning committee, and has earned numerous accolades for his entrepreneurial spirit and business prowess, including but not limited to Fortune magazine’s 2015 Businessperson of the Year; Institutional Investor’s 2014 All-America Executive Team, ranking as the top CEO in the business, education, and professional services sector; and 2007 recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year national award in the services category. Messmer is a frequent author and columnist, currently is on the University of California–San Francisco Medical Center Executive Council, and has served on the boards of several other major corporations.

Learn more about the ASA Leadership Hall of Fame and the association’s 50th anniversary by visiting americanstaffing.net/asa50.

Professional headshot available upon request.

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About the American Staffing Association

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state and regional affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.