Adecco Replaces Top Executive

Adecco, the world’s largest staffing firm, named a new CEO on Thursday, April 2, and announced that its current top executive will leave at the end of the month. The company said it will still continue with plans to build up its professional staffing business.

The new CEO, Patrick De Maeseneire, currently is top executive at European chocolate company Barry Callebaut.

However, De Maeseneire had several executive roles at Adecco before going to Barry Callebaut in 2002. De Maeseneire started at Adecco as country manager for the Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg region in 1998, and later led its global professional staffing business out of New York.

Adecco’s current CEO, Dieter Scheiff, formally assumed the post in April 2006 from then-CEO Klaus Jacobs. Scheiff had previously served as CEO of German staffing firm DIS, which was acquired by Adecco.

Jacobs, who died last year, also served as chairman of Adecco, but did not stand for re-election in 2007. Jacobs Holdings holds 22.8 percent of Adecco’s shares and 50.5 percent of Barry Callebaut, according to annual reports from both companies.

In a conference call with analysts Thursday, April 2, Adecco chairman Rolf Dörig said it was the board that opted to look for a new CEO.

Dörig also said the company will maintain its current direction.

“Adecco will continue to build on what we have started three years ago,” he said. “The company will continue to pursue its dual objective of building up the professional staffing business while continuing to optimize operations in the general staffing, with a particular focus on delivery models, specialization and cost leadership. So there will be no change in strategy.”

Dörig said Adecco is looking at building the professional business both organically and through acquisitions.

Adecco posted 2008 revenue of €19.97 billion ($28.15 billion).