Celebrating the 2025 SIA Global Power 150 Women in Staffing: Words of wisdom from this year’s honorees
To celebrate the incredible impact of women leaders in staffing, we’re proud to once again sponsor Staffing Industry Analysts’ annual Global Power 150 Women in Staffing award, which honors a notable selection of female executives whose vision, achievements, and leadership are elevating and transforming our global industry.
Below, learn how a few of this year’s honorees are leading during an uncertain time for recruitment, their advice for those just entering the industry, and what they’re most looking forward to in this moment of change.
Finding success during a challenging market
Diversification — or, as one recruitment CEO put it in a recent public earnings call, “specialization at scale” — is a valuable strategy for growth in today’s challenging business environment. Recruitment firms are shifting from being simple providers of talent to becoming strategic partners. Firms that are finding success are offering clients a deep understanding of emerging high-value margin services, how to address specific market needs, and how to develop talent within those areas.
“We stay closely attuned to emerging trends, such as nearshoring, AI/automation, and shifting cultural dynamics, to ensure our strategies and solutions remain aligned with our clients’ business goals,” said SIA Global Power 150 honoree Megan McCann, Founder and CEO of McCann Partners. “This agility also enables us to deliver meaningful and timely support in an ever-changing market.”
“We’re leveraging our solutions platform to give clients real-time insight into labor trends, market rates, and supply dynamics — empowering them to make smarter, faster decisions about how to source and retain talent,” added Maria Luoni, President at RightSourcing. “We’re also helping health systems diversify their workforce strategies — from traditional contingent labor to internal float pools and on-demand clinical talent — so they can balance cost efficiency with continuity of care.”
For Amy Bush, President, RPO, KellyOCG + Sevenstep, success comes down to one critical component: trust. “In times of uncertainty, the trust you have established really shines, and that is exactly what benefits us today,” she said. “Our clients trust our people to be partners, to advise them through adversity, and to have the resources to pivot quickly anytime, anywhere, to meet their changing demands. Our clients trust that we have the technology to bring them through their challenges. Our customers know we have AI and predictive analytics, and they know we have in-house innovation capabilities that will keep them ahead no matter what direction technology takes. I have always put trust first, with my own teams, our clients, and candidates.”
Building a future of collaboration
With service providers and job boards entering as an alternative option to recruitment firms, the industry finds itself in a new era defined by collaboration. Staffing leaders who typically compete are now finding new ways to partner together and elevate the recruitment industry as a whole. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats.
One SIA Global Power 150 honoree highlighted this spirit of collaboration when offering advice. “Get involved with ASA, SIA, TechServe, and your local professional organizations,” said honoree Robin Mee, CEO of MeeDerby. “Build your network, nurture it, contribute to it, and invest in it.”
“Success in this industry comes from confidence, curiosity, and connection,” added Luoni. “Understand the business, trust your voice, and help others rise with you.”
“I look for ways to see the real strengths of each person and help them build their work around those strengths rather than spend their time trying to correct weaknesses,” said Bush. “When you do that, you have teams that know how to bring their best to work and bring the best out in their teammates.”
Sharing words of wisdom
It’s often said that staffing is a people industry, not just because we put the world to work, but because recruitment is built on relationships. When asked about the words of advice she had for those entering the industry, Mee highlighted the importance of strong relationships. “Be generous, inclusive, and immediately responsive,” she said. “Advocate for yourself and use your voice. Build self-confidence, resilience, and collaboration. Invest in your future with constant learning and cultivating a polished professional image. Listen more than you talk. Learn to get comfortable with the uncomfortable; that is where the growth comes from. It’s okay to be scared and to ask for help, but give at least as much as you receive.”
Ultimately, leaders are looking forward to the future of staffing, despite — and because of — the shifts taking place in recruitment. “Talent acquisition is evolving rapidly as technology advances and workplace expectations change,” said Luoni. “To remain competitive, staffing agencies and firms must adopt faster, data-driven recruitment methods while maintaining a human touch that builds trust and engagement.”
“The recruitment industry is in the fight of its life, and we are ready for it,” added Bush. “We are more agile than ever and we are able to meet nearly any problem a client faces head on, right now. Types of talent, locations, volumes, and business goals can shift instantly, but we have technology to forecast the road ahead with detail and accuracy. We have the expertise to know what needs to be done to succeed, and we have the resources to do it. And, on top of that, we have earned our clients’ trust to move fast. Not every organization is up to the challenge, and this year will separate the haves from the have-nots. We will all come out much stronger.”
“The changes that are happening around us, with even more on the horizon, will redefine our industry,” added McCann. “I am excited to be at the forefront as a leader and look forward to seeing where the journey takes us, both as a company and an industry.”
Learn more about the honorees of the SIA Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list.
