Kelly, 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 $3 billion. Earlier in his career, Leege served as president at Prosum and Fahrenheit IT, and in positions of increasing leadership responsibility at Kforce, where he oversaw operations and drove sustained growth in several regions across the U.S.
“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.
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