NEW YORK, March 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudson Highland Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:HHGP) today announced that Manuel "Manolo" Marquez has signed an agreement to become chief executive officer of the company. He also has been appointed to the Board of Directors, effective immediately, and will serve as Chairman of the Board once his term as chief executive officer begins. Marquez will be based in New York.
Marquez is a recruitment industry veteran, having spent 15 years at global executive search firm Spencer Stuart, where he rose to lead the EMEA region before leaving to become CEO of Amper S.A., a publicly-traded defense, homeland security and telecom services company in Spain.
Richard J. Stolz, current company Chairman, said, "We are thrilled to welcome an executive of Manolo's caliber to Hudson. He brings a proven track record of successfully leading and building great teams to deliver results. Manolo's growth focus, global business experience and industry depth make him the ideal person to lead Hudson forward."
"I am excited by the opportunity to lead Hudson into its next era of growth," said Marquez. "Hudson has a strong market position, innovative recruitment and staffing solutions, and a highly talented team. I look forward to working closely with the Board and senior leadership team to build on Hudson's strengths to realize its potential as a world-class organization."
Stolz added, "The Board would also like to express its gratitude to Mary Jane Raymond for her service as interim CEO and her commitment to facilitating a seamless leadership transition as our chief financial officer."
Hudson also announced that it is granting Marquez 400,000 stock options and 100,000 restricted stock units effective upon Marquez becoming chief executive officer. The stock options vest 50 percent on each of the second and third anniversaries of his employment, and the restricted stock units vest 50 percent on the second anniversary and 25 percent on each of the third and fourth anniversaries.
Marquez will begin his term as Chairman and CEO upon securing a U.S. visa over the next several weeks.
Biography of Manuel "Manolo" Marquez
Manuel "Manolo" Marquez (52) has over 20 years of experience in senior leadership positions. Most recently, from 2007 – 2010, he was the chief executive officer of Amper S.A., a leading defense, homeland security and telecom services company in Spain with approximately 1,200 employees.
Prior to joining Amper, Marquez spent 15 years in the recruitment industry with Spencer Stuart, an international leader in executive search consulting services. He joined Spencer Stuart in 1991 and co-founded one of the firm's first specialized industry practices, High Technology. In 1995, he was asked to lead the European Telecommunications Practice. From 1997-2000, he was the Managing Partner responsible for the Spanish market. From 2000 – 2005, he was a member of the global executive team of Spencer Stuart responsible for the firm's operations in Europe, India and South Africa, expanding this region to 14 countries with over 100 consultants and record-setting results in terms of client service quality and performance.
Marquez began his professional career at IBM in 1981. He later joined Digital Equipment Corporation in 1989, as marketing and sales director for its Spanish subsidiary. Marquez has been a member of the Advisory Board of ESADE Business School, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, since 2007.
An expert on corporate governance, succession and leadership, he co-authored the book "Retratos de Liderazgo" ("Portraits of Leadership"). He graduated with honors in telecommunications engineering from the Polytechnic University in 1981, and received his Business Sciences degree from Autonoma University of Madrid in 1982.
About Hudson Highland Group
Hudson Highland Group, Inc. is a leading provider of permanent recruitment, contract professionals and talent management services worldwide. From single placements to total outsourced solutions, Hudson helps clients achieve greater organizational performance by assessing, recruiting, developing and engaging the best and brightest people for their businesses. The company employs more than 2,000 professionals serving clients and candidates in approximately 20 countries. More information is available at www.hudson.com.