Peter Quigley
KELLY SERVICESAbout Peter W. Quigley
Peter W. Quigley, age 63, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Kelly Services and has served on Kelly’s Board since 2019; he is management, not independent, and holds no Board committee assignments . He earned a JD from George Washington University and a BA from the University of Michigan, and has 22+ years at Kelly across legal, operations, and business unit leadership, with prior roles at Lucent Technologies and AT&T . On February 12, 2025, he announced his intention to retire as an officer in 2025 upon appointment and transition to a successor; he remains a director nominee for the 2025 meeting . Kelly’s governance structure separates the independent Chairman from the CEO, with 88% independent directors and 100% independent committees; Board/committee attendance averaged 96.9% in 2024 and all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Services | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2019–present | Led specialty growth strategy and portfolio reshaping |
| Kelly Services | EVP, President Global Staffing; GM IT, Global Services, Global Business Services | 2017–2019 | Oversaw major operating units and specialty alignment |
| Kelly Services | Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel | 2015–2017 | Led legal and administrative functions; governance alignment |
| Kelly Services | General Counsel | 2013–2015 | Legal leadership; compliance oversight |
| Kelly Services | Global Client Relationships leader; prior legal/contract roles | 2002–2012 (various roles) | Key client development; contracting discipline |
| Lucent Technologies | Various positions | Pre-2002 | Telecom/tech operating experience |
| AT&T Corporation | Various positions | Pre-2002 | Large enterprise operations and legal exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Staffing Association | Board member | — | Industry advocacy/standards |
| Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce | Board member | — | Regional business policy |
| Business Leaders for Michigan | Board member | — | State competitiveness initiatives |
| Detroit Economic Club | Board member | — | Executive forum/networking |
Board Governance
- Independence and structure: Majority-independent Board (88%) with independent Chairman; all committees (Audit; Compensation and Talent Management; Corporate Governance and Nominating) are 100% independent .
- Quigley’s status: Management director (CEO); not independent; no committee memberships .
- Attendance: All directors attended the 2024 annual meeting; Board/committee attendance averaged 96.9% across 12 Board meetings in 2024 .
- Controlled company but voluntary compliance: Despite controlled status via Trust K (>90% of Class B voting power), Kelly voluntarily complies with Nasdaq independence standards (majority independent; fully independent committees) .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | 2023 | 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Base Salary ($) | $900,000 | $975,000 | 8.3% increase in 2024 |
| Director Retainer (cash/equity) | — | — | Quigley received no director compensation in 2024; director retainer applies to non-employee directors only |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Target/Design | Outcome/2024 Funding | Metrics/Mechanics |
|---|---|---|---|
| STIP (CEO) | 120% of base salary target | Corporate EBITDA actual $133.7M vs threshold $128.0M, target $160.0M, max $200.0M; STIP funded at 58.9% | Funding based 100% on corporate EBITDA for CEO; straight-line interpolation; adjustments for unbudgeted special items (hurricanes, executive transitions) |
| LTI Mix (CEO) | 75% Performance Shares; 25% time-based Restricted Shares | 2024 assessment period PS earned at 75.78% of target | Three annual goals across 2024–2026 with cliff vesting at end of 3-year period for earned PS |
| Clawback & Hedging/Pledging | Longstanding incentive compensation clawback policy applies; hedging and pledging prohibited | Ongoing | Policy enforcement and risk mitigation features |
| Change-in-Control (2025 EIP) | Assumed awards convert to service-based at target and continue vesting; full vest on Qualified Termination; if not assumed, vest at target immediately prior to CIC; no repricing without stockholder approval | Approved May 8, 2025 | Double-trigger vesting economics embedded; Section 409A compliance |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Type | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| American Staffing Association; Detroit Regional Chamber; Business Leaders for Michigan; Detroit Economic Club | Industry association/non-profit boards | No related-party transactions disclosed; Audit Committee reviews any related person matters |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills assessed by Kelly: Executive leadership; transformations; innovation; industry (staffing/services); technology/digitization/cybersecurity; financial acumen; risk management; legal/corporate governance; sustainability/ESG; M&A .
- Education: JD, George Washington University; BA, University of Michigan .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Common Stock | 438,471 | * (<1%) |
| Class B Common Stock | 100 | * (<1%) |
Notes: “*” denotes less than 1% of class as presented in the beneficial ownership table . Non-employee director stock ownership guideline is 4x the cash portion of the annual base retainer ($400,000 equivalent); all directors are compliant, but Quigley is an employee director and not subject to director guideline .
Governance Assessment
- Committee assignments and independence: As CEO and a management director, Quigley is not independent and serves on no Board committees; this preserves committee independence (100%) and aligns with best practices for controlled companies maintaining voluntary Nasdaq compliance .
- Engagement and attendance: Board-level attendance is strong (96.9% in 2024), and all directors attended the annual meeting—positive for board effectiveness; individual attendance by director is not itemized .
- Pay-for-performance alignment: CEO pay structure emphasizes at-risk compensation—STIP funded at 58.9% on EBITDA outcomes; LTI is majority performance shares with 75.78% achievement for 2024, signaling measured payouts tied to business performance .
- Shareholder support: Say-on-pay received 99% approval in 2024 and strong support again at the May 8, 2025 meeting (For: 3,180,023; Against: 1,076; Abstain: 99), indicating broad investor acceptance of compensation design .
- Conflict controls and red flags: Company discloses no related-party transactions with directors or senior management; robust Code of Conduct, insider trading policy, clawback, and prohibitions on hedging/pledging reduce alignment risks—no pledging or hedging disclosed for Quigley .
- Controlled company considerations: Trust K controls >90% of Class B voting power, yet Kelly voluntarily upholds independence standards, mitigating governance concerns typical of controlled companies; independent Chair further supports oversight separation .
Overall signal for investors: Quigley’s non-independence is standard for an active CEO-director; committee independence, strong attendance, and pay structures tied to EBITDA and performance shares—with robust shareholder support—indicate governance practices focused on alignment and risk mitigation. No disclosed related-party transactions or hedging/pledging concerns for Quigley reduce conflict risk .