Kelly Appoints Joel Leege as President of Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom (SETT)
Rhea-AI Summary
Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA) named Joel Leege president of Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom (SETT), effective Mar. 16, 2026. He joins Kelly's senior leadership team and reports to CEO Chris Layden.
Leege brings nearly three decades of staffing and talent solutions experience, including double-digit organic growth at Red Oak Technologies and leadership roles at Randstad Digital, Prosum, Fahrenheit IT, and Kforce. His mandate is to accelerate profitable growth across life sciences, engineering, technology, and telecom by building on SETT’s scale and capabilities.
Positive
- Appointment effective Mar. 16, 2026 strengthens SETT leadership
- Leege delivered double-digit organic growth at Red Oak Technologies
- Led Randstad Digital growth to >$3 billion in technology services revenue
- Direct report to CEO increases strategic alignment with corporate priorities
Negative
- No near-term financial targets or guidance provided for SETT under new leadership
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 06 | Investor conferences | Neutral | -1.4% | Announcement of participation in two virtual investor conferences in March 2026. |
| Mar 04 | Brand integration | Positive | +0.3% | Relaunch of Pediatric Therapeutic Services as Kelly Pediatric Therapy after 2022 acquisition. |
| Feb 12 | Earnings report | Neutral | -1.3% | FY2025 earnings with $4.3B revenue, higher free cash flow, and margin expansion outlook. |
| Feb 11 | Executive appointment | Positive | -6.9% | Appointment of Patrick McCall as chief growth officer to lead company-wide growth efforts. |
| Feb 05 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | +0.1% | Scheduling and webcast details for Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings release and call. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent corporate and investor-relations updates, including executive appointments and branding moves, often saw modest or negative next-day price reactions, even when strategically positive.
Over the last several months, Kelly reported FY2025 results with $4.3 billion in revenue and stronger free cash flow, alongside expectations for margin expansion in H2 2026. The company has been active on the investor-relations front with multiple conferences and an earnings call. Strategically, it rebranded its pediatric therapy business and appointed a chief growth officer to drive acceleration. Today’s appointment of a president for the Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom segment continues this leadership refresh and focus on specialized growth verticals.
Key Terms
mergers & acquisitions financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Experienced specialty staffing and solutions executive brings deep operational expertise to build upon SETT’s market leading scale and capabilities
TROY, Mich., March 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB), a leading global specialty talent solutions provider, has appointed Joel Leege as president, Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom (SETT), effective Mar. 16, 2026. Leege will join Kelly's senior leadership team and report to CEO Chris Layden. He will be responsible for accelerating profitable growth by building upon Kelly’s specialty staffing and solutions capabilities across the life sciences, engineering, technology, and telecom verticals.
“Joel is a proven industry leader with deep operational expertise in specialty staffing and solutions, and a track record of driving above-market growth,” Layden said. “His extensive experience building high-performing teams, leading complex transformations and integrations, and driving exceptional service delivery for customers is uniquely suited to further enhance SETT’s competitive positioning and take the business to the next level. We're pleased to welcome him to the team.”
Leege is an accomplished executive with nearly three decades of experience in staffing, talent solutions, and managed services across technology, engineering, life sciences, and finance. Most recently, he served as president and chief operating officer of Red Oak Technologies. In this role, he led high-impact technology services and talent solutions delivery to customers across the U.S. and globally, achieving double-digit organic growth and outperforming the market.
Prior to Red Oak, Leege spent nearly seven years at Randstad Digital, first as executive vice president of growth, strategy, and 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
“Kelly has an incredible brand as a specialty staffing and solutions leader which I am excited to build upon as president of SETT,” Leege said. “SETT’s scale and capabilities across life sciences, engineering, and technology provide a strong foundation as AI and the accelerating pace of innovation create new opportunities for Kelly to grow. I look forward to working with our talented team to capitalize on these opportunities and create value for our customers, talent, and for Kelly.”
Leege holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa, a Master's degree in Human Resources & Labor Relations from Michigan State University, and a Certificate in Mergers & Acquisitions from London Business School. Known for his leadership on issues and trends in staffing and solutions, he serves as chair of the board of directors for TechServe Alliance and speaks at industry forums across the U.S.
About Kelly®
Kelly Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB) helps companies recruit and manage skilled workers and helps job seekers find great work. Since inventing the staffing industry in 1946, we have become experts in the many industries and local and global markets we serve. With a network of suppliers and partners around the world, we connect approximately 375,000 people with work every year. Our suite of outsourcing and consulting services and solutions ensures companies have the people they need, when and where they are needed most. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, we empower businesses and individuals to access limitless opportunities in industries such as science, engineering, technology, education, manufacturing, retail, finance, and energy. Revenue in 2025 was
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