The Fab Five Board Members

Five new, mega-heavyweight members in the boardrooms of HRO providers.

by Harry Feinberg

You know us pretty well by now. Were always on the lookout for the next big trend.

Last year at this time, we identified RPO, or recruitment process outsourcing. This rollicking new wave came crashing on the scene in early 2004. Fast forward to today, there are more than 20 new and significant vendors in the space. Lots of investment capital is rushing in. The HRO Association has created a subgroup called the RPO Alliance. At the HRO Awards in April, there was an award for best RPO provider. And today, you cannot talk to a hip recruiting professional who is not in vogue with this trend, which involves a highly-automated, rapid-fire, and significantly lower-cost approach to filling positions.

Today, we see another big trend. This time, it is not a service category. It is something even more important whos who in the boardrooms of HRO providers.

We at HRO Today are seeing a new breed of business heavy-hitters joining HRO firms. Why this matters is that these super heavyweights bring a level of expectation and power and big-mover behaviors with them that lesser breeds of business leaders lack.

And these heavies send big signals to the market. Their presence tells competitors its time to move over and let the big dog eat. It tells Wall Street that it is safe to invest. It tells reluctant customers that it is time to buy. Here is our sampling of the Fab Five big-time HRO board members:

1. Mike Milken, Philanthropist, Investor. HRO Boardmember: Knowledge Planet. As the corporate training extension of his big-time early learning initiative Knowledge Universe, Knowledge Planet (KP) has applied technology to the age-old challenge of tracking which employee took which training course. Milkens business-networking pedigree and investor relationships found KP a blue-chip investor group and has helped land marquis clients such as BMW. Alan Todd, KP CEO, says that traveling in Milkens inner circle has many virtues, including an acceleration of the companys client acquisition cycle.

2. Ralph Destino, Chairman Emeritus, Cartier, Inc. HRO Boardmember: Rideau, Inc. A Fifth Avenue daylight stroll with Ralph Destino is a Trump-like experience. He waves to well-heeled friends, shakes hands with another luxury goods mogul, nods to a current golf buddy. Simply put, Destino is the definition of upscale finery to an entire generation of corporate leaders. His presence on the board of Rideau, Inc., a leader in employee recognition, has helped the 70-year-old Canadian company go American. He has also helped Rideau CEO Peter Harts successful effort to evolve the company from a medal maker for the Queen to what it is today: A high-tech, full-service employee recognition services provider to North Americas largest companies and governments.

3. John Sculley, former CEO, Pepsi & Apple Computer. HRO Boardmember: Verified Person. After leading Apple and Pepsi, Sculley left with a bundle of cash and a great phone book. John Sculley took on the role of venture catalyst, backing new companies with both cash and contacts. His newest venture, Verified Person, is a new take on employee screening screening them after they started working, rather than just before.

4. Arne Carlson, former Minnesota Governor. HRO Boardmember: Rideau, Inc. Carlson joins Ralph Destino on Rideaus board, adding to its luster. From what HRO Today understands, the former Governors clout helped Rideau land a key partnership with Minnesota-based Ceridian.

5. Brian Swette, former COO of eBay and Chief Marketing Officer at Pepsi. HRO Boardmember: The Ladders. Swette created eBays Buy It Now feature and Pepsis Big Slam and brought Aquafina, Lipton Iced Tea, and Starbucks Frappuccino to market. Theres no telling to what heights he can help the $100,000+ job board CEO Marc Cenedella climb. But with Swette on board, expectations for The Ladders is sky-high.